Daughter of Hera: Legend Incarnate (Book Two) (UNDER RENOVATION)
by WhenStarsLie
Summary: The daughter of Hera is gone and Tartarus is now rising to power. Will Olympus and its children managed to rise up against the enemy or their legacy will be utterly destroyed in eternity? This is the sequel to Daughter of Hera: Rise of Tartarus. Please read it before proceeding to this story. Note: I don't own PJO nor HOO nor the pictures used in the cover.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! I'm back. I now present you the sequel for Daughter of Hera: Rise of Tartarus. I know some of you were angry for that ending but you wouldn't like to kill me without knowing what happens next, won't you? *wink wink* I know I already said this for many times but really guys, thanks for supporting me. My grammar might still be off but I won't make excuses for not improving it. I might update in an irregular basis just like always but rest assured I will really update. Cheers for the sequel! I dedicate this to all of you. If it weren't for you, I won't be trying to improve my writing skills. Thank you!**

 **Warning: This story may be a bit cliché. Turn back down and forever regret reading it. Just kidding, but seriously, you've been warned.**

 **Note: I don't own PJO nor HOO. All credits goes to Rick Riordan for these two wonderful series. Credits to the artists of the pictures used in the cover.**

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 **Chapter 1 - Did My Best Friend's Dog Just Turned Into A God?**

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 _For life and death are one,_  
 _even as the river and the sea are one._  
 _-_ Khalil Gibran

* * *

~Trisha Ledger's POV~

* * *

 _The_ _music had stopped..._

 _The lullaby that I worked hard for years..._

 _It was gone..._

 _Only a cold, dead silence remains..._

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling of my mother's cabin. I shifted, burrowed myself deep under the covers. Six weeks had passed since I was kidnapped in the mall and locked up in a cage. Ten days since Christine descended to the Underworld to rescue me. Ten days since she died and I arrived in camp. Ten days since her funeral. Nine days since I was claimed. I buried my head under a pillow as a sliver of light escaped through the door.

 _"Trisha...are you already awake? It's already morning."_

Footsteps echoed on the floor. The bed bounced as Clarisse sat down. She lifted the pillow a bit and peeked.

 _"I'm awake."_ I said. I pushed the pillow back under my head and stared at the pink wall of the cabin.

 _"Everyone's gathering at the pavilion. Breakfast time."_ She said.

I didn't answer.

She sighed and slumped against the wall. _"You know what, Christine's going to haunt you if you continue_ _sulking."_

 _"Very funny."_ I scowled. _"If I remembered right, Christine often says that you are no good at jokes."_

 _"Well, she often says that you sulks like a rebellious five year old."_ She shot back.

 _"That...is something I guess I couldn't argue."_

 _"She's a good observant. Quick in her reflexes as she is quick in wit. But surprisingly stubborn sometimes."_

 _"No arguments here."_

She looked at up the ceiling, wrinkling her nose at the heavy scent of perfume wafting in the cabin. _"I called Mr. Ledger earlier. Told him that you've been already found and is in good custody."_

 _"Bet you didn't told him about camp."_

 _"No need. He seemed to know, Trisha. You know about being your mother a goddess and you being a demigod. He insisted in keeping you safe, see you as soon as everything settles down."_

 _"How about Christine? Did you tell him about it?"_

She shook her head. _"No. Not yet."_

I didn't speak. I just studied the intricate patterns on my blanket. Clarisse was still leaning on the wall, looking out at the window toward the expanse of the camp. She must be thinking about something. The door slowly creaked open and a guy poked his head inside. It was Clarisse's boyfriend. Chris Rodriguez. We both looked at him. He regarded me with friendly reassurance.

He cleared his throat and spoke. _"Breakfast's ready._ _Well, if you're ready to eat now, you know."_

 _"We're coming. Go ahead."_ Clarisse answered.

He nodded and disappeared.

Clarisse stood up and pulled the blanket off unceremoniously. _"Stop sulking and get changed. You got a lot of activities today."_

I groaned and buried my head under the pillow.

She grabbed it away. _"Now!"_

I sat up and scowled at her. _"Yes, Ma'am!"_ I grabbed a towel and headed for a bath. _"You're already ruining my already ruined day!"_

She snickered. _"I won't go easy with you today."_

 _"GET OUT!"_ I shouted.

She smirked and went out, closing the door behind her.

The sky is sunny and clear. The morning breeze smells of fresh wet earth and strawberries. The pavilion was jampacked with demigods. Breakfast had started and voices melt together into one loud undistinguished chorus. I sat down with my half-siblings and glanced to Clarisse who has started fighting about something I don't consider worthy of arguing. A wood nymph passed by, placing a plate fresh bread and cheese and an enchanted goblet before me. I ate silently, listening to the gossips coming from my half-siblings. There are gossips who dates who and the hottest gals and guys in camp. There are also talks about some famous celebrities, including a man named Tristan McLean, which our head counselor looked away as soon as the name was spoken.

As soon as breakfast ended, Clarisse pulled me away for my first activity for the day. Sword practice. I admit I'm having a hard time handling swords and other weapons. I once tried out all weapons available in the armory to no avail. But I do possess godly abilities concerning my mom's dominion, especially the rare ability known as charmspeak. I never realized it until I accidentally used it on Clarisse. Somehow, she managed to break free from it. It wasn't as strong as our head counselor's but it definitely have high potential. I was about to use it to Clarisse to let me go off the practice when Clarisse came charging at me. I barely blocked with my shield.

 _"Focus! Don't zone out during a battle if you don't want to die!"_

I struggled to block her continuous assaults. The force was powerful it knocked my sword out of my hand. She placed the tip of her sword under my chin.

 _"Checkmate."_

 _"Right."_ I pushed the sword away carefully and picked up my sword.

Clarisse trudged toward the stone seats and picked up a water bottle. _"You should put more force when blocking. It will help counteract your enemy's and prevent from losing your hold of your weapon."_

 _"I told you. I'm not cut out for this."_ I said as I sat down. I placed the sword upright beside my feet.

 _"Who gave you that idea? I know a couple of Aphrodite kids who are good at fighting."_ She handed me a water bottle.I took it gratefully.

 _"Yeah. Sure. But really, I'm not an Aphrodite kid who was blessed with skills in fighting."_

She flicked my forehead.

 _"Owww! What's that for?"_ I asked as I rubbed on my forehead.

 _"That is for your idiocy! Thinking you're not cut out for fighting when your life depends on it..."_ She huffed. _"You're asking for an easy death wish, you know."_

I shrugged. _"That's easy for you to say. You're an Ares kid. You're good-Ouch!"_

 _"Pick up your sword! We still got half an hour! Double time! Be quick!"_

 _"Yes, Ma'am!"_

Ever since Christine's funeral, Clarisse had been persistent in training me. She would always make sure I don't skip my camp activities especially sword practice. She wants me to learn how to fend off myself. Perhaps, even better than Christine had done. Despite that, she'd grown to be very protective of me. It's quite understandable. She'd lose some of the people important to her. She'd lose Christine. She don't want to lose me either. And so am I. It's quite hard. Not just for me but for the whole camp. The campers had been pretty gloomy since Nico broke the news for us.

 _"_ _Christine...she...she's gone. Tartarus took her. She sacrificed her life to give us time to escape and prepare for the war. She...she's dead. I'm sorry..."_

That's what he said. Every word was etched in my memory. It was so clear that it could have been spoken again and again in a nonstop rhythm. I wished it was the opposite. I hoped she came back with that son of Hades, wounded yet alive. I wished I can see her smile, that smile that gives hope and life to darkness. But it was the opposite. She never came back. She's gone...dead.

Nightfall. Everyone huddled to the pavilion as dinner was served. Voices broke into a chorus of screams as the ground trembled violently. Plates fell and goblets toppled off the tables. Some of the campers crouched down to the ground. I gripped at the edge of the table as the world moved randomly around in my sight. The earthquake lasted for a minute and a half. The longest and the most powerful yet. Chiron called off a meeting with the head counselors immediately after the meal. Everybody else were sent off to bed early as the sing-a-long and Capture the Flag were canceled. As I was going to my mom's cabin together with a few of my half-siblings, a rustling by the nearest bushes followed by a bark caught my attention. I separated from the group and peered, sweeping the bushes open. A small figure jumped at me and began licking my face.

" _Markus_!" I giggled as I lifted the brown and white shirt tzu. He wagged his tail happily at me. _"What are you doing here?"_

He barked. It was only then that I noticed the collar around his furry neck. _When did Markus wear a collar?_ I looked at it closely. It wasn't a collar but a bracelet. I set Markus down and unhooked the bracelet. It was made of Imperial Gold. My eyes went wide.

 _"This...this is Christine's charm bracelet! W-Why do you have it?"_

He barked in response and ran back to the bushes.

 _"Wait!"_ I ran after him but found no sign of him. I ran finger on the golden loops of the bracelet. Etched on the back of the peacock pendant was a Latin inscription I managed to understand thanks to my multilingual father. _Monēre._ Just then, white blotted my vision and memories flooded at me. _Memories of Christine._ Everything that happened while she is wearing the bracelet. I saw a woman gave her bracelet, gently fitting it on her wrist. I saw the times we share in every places we go. I saw the time when I was kidnapped in the mall. Her struggles in camp until she gave the bracelet to a young girl clad in silver. Every memory was crystal clear. All emotions, all sounds, all sensations it was like my own. I didn't realized then, I was already on my knees, crying. I wiped my tears and looked down on my hands.

Instead of the bracelet, a golden scythe was lying on my palms. The pole is six feet long, pure gold. The polished blade is curved downward, about three feet, made of Stygian Iron. It has a leather grip, tightly wounded around the pole. The bottom of the pole was a disk with the inscription _Monēre._ A small spearhead shaped blade protruded below the disk. A silver chain wrapped around the pole up to my wrist like a handcuff. I gaped at the beautiful yet dangerous weapon before me. Seeing this made me remember the stories about Ouranos' fall on the hands of his son Kronos with a weapon similar to a scythe and the birth of my mother.

A owl hooted nearby, catching my attention. I looked up and saw a figure flying away. It was dark to recognize who is it, but I saw it holding a rod with wings and a pair of snake-like things intertwined around it. The figure turned and bowed down before it disappeared in a flash of light. A voice whispered in my ear.

 _"Be warned_ _of the dangers ahead. Always listen to what you are instructed to do._ _May this be a reminder to you and to those who will hold Monēre after_ _you_ _."_

I glanced around but found no one. I touched the silver chain and the weapon turned back to a charm bracelet. Instead of a peacock and an eagle, a dove pendant dangle from the golden loops. I heard our head counselor calling my name. I hooked the bracelet around my wrist and went back to camp.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Nico: "I Hate Scythes"**

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 _I was standing in the middle_ _of_ _a forest clearing by the_ _side_ _of a crystal clear lake. The same place_ _I_ _keep dreaming about since_ _I_ _came to camp. The lake's waters rippled and sparkled under the daylight. Sun shone above in a soft array. A cool breeze blew past. Before me, by the opposite side of lake, stood a big oak tree. By the base of the tree stood a magnificent throne. The throne was_ _made_ _of gold and silver. Beautiful intricate etchings of various animals, plants and_ _even_ _humans were carved on its whole structure. Polished gemstones of different colors and_ _sizes_ _were inlaid, adding to the magnificence of the throne. Around the base of the throne was the most beautiful and magnificent dragon_ _I've_ _ever seen. It was a whole lot bigger than Peleus. Instead of leathery wings, it has feathered ones, similar to the wings of a bird. Each feather_ _were_ _clean and arranged in_ _perfect_ _rows_. _Its scales and feathers were transparent white, shimmering in a spectrum of colors as light struck it. The lower_ _length_ _of its tail were lined with spikes and_ _ending_ _with a row of broad feathers up to the tip. Its head_ _was_ _collared with feathers and its talons were sharp yet clean. Smoke trailed off from its snout as it slept. All around me, animals_ _milled_ _around, playing, and napping. The lush greenery around me swayed with the cool_ _breeze_ _. Just like the same dreams_ _I_ _had the nights before, the throne was_ _empty_ _. The animals kept looking at the throne like they were expecting someone_ _but didn't came._

 _The sky above darkened. Gray stormy clouds covered the sky. Lightning streaked above. A deafening thunder rolled by. Rain poured heavily and wind lashed furiously around me, bringing with it fallen leaves and broken branches. The animals_ _ran_ _in fear, searching for shelter from the storm. Above, an eagle soared unharmed amidst the storm. Its cry sounded like a trumpet of_ _triumph_ _._

 _Then, the worst part happened. The ground shook below my feet. A fissure_ _cracked_ _the earth. A chasm opened up, swallowing the lake and the throne, together with the big oak tree. Black fumes spewed from the chasm. The fumes_ _reached_ _up the sky, knocking the eagle out of the sky. It fell down to the chasm, closing like the teeth of a hungry beast, swallowing the eagle into nothingness. All around me, the ground softened into_ _mud_ _. I tried to move but my feet got stuck. I_ _began_ _to sink. The_ _ground_ _trembles and opened, and just like the eagle, swallowed me whole._

I jolted awake. My body trickled with sweat. I closed my eyes as I calmed my breathing. I stared at the moonlit cabin, barely listening to the breathing of my cabin mates over the silence of the night. I pressed my knees to my chest. The horror that took place eleven days ago is still fresh in my mind. I tried not to think of the possibility of Tartarus coming back to get me but I knew too well that a huge war is about to take place. We all do and we can't escape. I lifted at my wrist and watched the dove pendant dangled and sparkled in the moonlight. I closed my eyes and grabbed at the happy memories that the three of us had made. Memories I wished I could back to. Memories I wished I could spend with Clarisse and Christine again. _Christine..._ I bit my lip. _You said you will come back, you liar! So why...why didn't you...why did this have to happen...how could you?!_ I lay down and covered my head with pillow. I sobbed until sleep finally took over me.

The next morning, the son of Hades was waiting for me outside. I greeted him which he returned with a quiet nod. I followed him toward the stables. Today is one of the days where Clarisse have to spend almost all her day to train new arrivals. During this days, Nico become my company for the entire day. Despite being quiet every time he's with me, I began to learn to trust and rely on the guy. Sure, he is a Hades kid but that doesn't mean he's a bad guy. He can be talkative at times but those are very rare. I know the reason why he's looking after me: it was one of Christine's wishes before her death. She had given her trust to Nico to look after me. I know I must be angry at him for not saving her and I did. But that was a thing of the past. I know very well he didn't want that to happen in any way. I'd forgiven him and that's all that matters.

As we walked past the wide fissure that opened up eleven days ago, he took notice of the charm bracelet.

 _"Oh this?"_ I lifted my wrist. _"Actually, it is Christine's. I got it last night from her dog. Markus just_ _appeared_ _suddenly_ _with the bracelet around his neck. Once_ _I_ _took it off him, he ran off. I tried following_ _him_ _but he suddenly disappeared."_ I lowered it and touched the dove gingerly. _"It was actually given to her by her aunt. The only blood relative she knew. I don't actually_ _know_ _how_ _Markus_ _got it at all, but for all_ _I_ _knew...she isn't wearing this when_ _she_ _descended down the_ _Underworld_ _, even though it's_ _very_ _important to her."_ I looked down.

Nico shifted at his feet, obviously finding the topic a bit sensitive. _"She isn't wearing that back then..."_ He said.

 _"Yeah...but the thing is, it's made of Imperial_ _Gold_ _and it can turn into a weapon."_ I stepped back and willed the bracelet to turn to a weapon. Soon enough, it grew into a scythe, glinting under the daylight.

Nico jumped back in surprise. _"What the?!"_

 _"Sorry. I should have warned you."_

He studied the weapon cautiously. _"A scythe...not a good_ _choice_ _of a weapon."_

I shrugged. _"It's what it turned to. I don't think_ _I_ _can change it."_

 _"Right..."_ His shoulders slumped. _"You should turn it back to a bracelet. I don't think a pegasus fancies having a rider with a scythe. Especially with Blackjack, Percy's pegasus. Kronos and Percy got a very bad blood between them. He might stomp on you."_

 _"Right. Never show the pure black pegasus a scythe if you don't want to become a pancake."_ The scythe shrank back into a charm bracelet.

 _"You...you should not use it much."_ He scratched the back of his neck. _"I don't think a scythe_ _could_ _get you far in a battle. You should just stick on to other_ _weapons_ _like_ _swords or maybe bows. Not that_ _I'm_ _good in archery,_ _you_ _know."_

I sighed. _"I understand."_

 _"Well, the pegasi's waiting for_ _us_ _. Let's go."_

Being on the ground and feeling nature with your own hands is one thing. Seeing it's fully glory above is another. It gives you a thrill you will never feel on ground. It let you show things you will never see at close view. It was scary yet wonderful. I looked down and saw Nico sitting on the grass while Blackjack nipped on his hair. Blackjack is the only pegasus I've known to approach the son of Hades. Nico stroked his head as he watched me fly above. Soon enough, we landed and met up with Nico. He helped me refill the pegasi's troughs. Blackjack rubbed his head affectionately on my hand.

 _"Christine had ridden_ _Blackjack_ _a few times."_ Nico said. _"They're quite close. He_ _must_ _have knew your connection to her."_

I ran my hand on the pegasus' mane. _"I guess. Though_ _I_ _wished_ _I_ _could_ _understand him."_

 _"You can ask Percy. He's a son of Poseidon._ _His dad's the father of horses. He can understand them. Maybe he could translate it for you."_

 _"I'll put that in my mind."_ As we finished our chore, a loud boom reverberated throughout camp. Nico and I hurried outside and saw a huge smoke coming from the armory. A group of Hephaestus kids ran out of the armory, coughing and wheezing. Some campers had gathered to help them, bringing pails of water.

 _"Oh...must be Leo."_ Nico said and went back inside the stables. I watched as the head counselor of Hephaestus cabin went out, followed by his girlfriend. Percy had ran toward the armory and summoned water from the canoe lake to extinguish the fire inside the building. I simply shrugged and went back inside.

I stood by the doorway, watching Nico brush Blackjack's coat. I tried not to remember what happened eleven days ago. It was never his fault. He didn't want that to happen. No one did. I touched the charm bracelet.

 _"I'm so sorry..."_ Nico's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. He had stopped brushing the pure black pegasus' coat and was now staring blankly at the walls of the stables. His face grim and filled with guilt.

I tried to wave it off. _"It wasn't your fault. No one wished for that to happen."_

 _"But_ _I_ _was there..."_

 _"But it was her decision. She could be pretty stubborn at times."_

 _"Still,_ _I_ _could have done something."_

I inhaled, biting my lower lip. My shoulder slumped. _"She died for a good cause. She wouldn't_ _want_ _it any other way."_

Nico didn't responded. I hauled myself to work. I poured a pail of water to Porkpie's trough as Nico sluggishly brushed Blackjack's coat.

 _"What if...what if she's still alive?"_

I almost dropped the pail. I looked over at Nico who met my gaze. I looked away.

 _"I-I don't want to be too wishful...yet..."_ My voice trails off. _"You told us she's gone. You're a son of Hades. You know when one is gone or not."_

 _"Yeah...you're right..."_ His eyes glazed over like he was first taking in his surroundings after a deep slumber. " _But...Tartarus wants something from her. He wants to use her to avenge Gaea. He wouldn't let her die one way or another without getting what he needs from her."_

 _"Which is?"_

His shoulders slumped. _"I don't know."_ He shook his head weakly. _"It's not like a_ _single_ _demigod_ _could destroy the gods. Even if she's a daughter of the queen of the gods or of one of the Big Three."_

I gazed at him. He must be feeling more guilt than any of us, even if it wasn't his fault. I tried to smile the brightest I can, hoping my charmspeak would work well. _"We should hurry_ _up_ _now. It's almost lunchtime. Clarisse would be worried if_ _I_ _don't_ _come_ _just in time."_

 _"Yeah...you're right."_ The guilt slowly disappeared on his expression. My charmspeak must have worked now but it won't last forever. Deep inside, he's still carrying that horrible feeling. I brushed off the hair on my face and went back working.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Jupiter Falls (Sounds Like Some Cartoon Show)**

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~Reyna Ramírez-Arellano's POV~

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The Third Cohort rushed past us as another horde of monsters had appeared not far from camp. It was already the twelfth time this week that a monster horde had appeared and as much as I hate to conclude bad things, there might be more to come. The cohorts had been changing shifts on who will engage in battle. The attacks had become more frequent these last three weeks and the number of monsters doubled for every horde. At times, Frank and I would join in despite the busy travels we do to Camp Half-Blood back to Camp Jupiter. The exchange of information between the camps had also been more frequent due to the attacks and earthquakes. The Amazons, just like the Hunters, had also established a communication cycle for every few hours. The gods had been silent for some time now which left us all to figure things out. _Again_. Yes, we Romans do not have a very close contact with the gods unlike the Greeks, but we still seek for their help and wisdom. Things had been more shaky since the news about the first casualty on the hands of Tartarus came to us. _The daughter_ _of_ _Hera_. Though I haven't interacted much with her, I had a fair share of unfortunate events throughout my years of existence. All of them weren't something to stupidly ignore.

As I watched them go with Aurum and Argentum by my sides, I wondered how that daughter of Aphrodite was holding up. She must have been grief-stricken about her best friend's demise for days now. I patted my metallic dogs on the head and headed for New Rome. I felt a sudden shift in the quality of air and space behind me as Nico appeared from the shadows. He's looking paler than usual. His eyes more sunken and hollow. Argentum and Aurum shifted.

 _"Hello, Reyna."_

 _"Hi, Nico._ _How's Camp Half-Blood?"_ I asked.

 _"_ _The_ _usual stuff this last two weeks. Lots of earthquakes and monster attacks."_ He answered. His gaze shifted to the marching armored demigods. _"Another attack?"_

 _"Yeah._ _An adult told us he saw a flock of_ _metal birds. We assumed it was a flock of Stymphalian_ _birds."_

Nico nodded. _"Got a bunch of basilisks at camp an hour ago. We got rid of it but a couple got_ _bitten_ _. Will and his half-siblings were tending them now. He said they will be fine."_

 _"That's good to hear."_ I lifted my chin as Frank and Hazel appeared from sight.

He motioned. I nodded. Soon, he turned into a giant eagle with Hazel on his back and joined the Third Cohort to battle.

I inhaled. _"_ _Your_ _father. Lord Pluto-I mean, Hades. How is it going for him?"_

 _"Father retreated to Olympus as soon as Tartarus withdrew back to his domain eleven days ago. He must have already reported what happened to the other Olympians. He's staying there until he_ _could_ _get his territory back from Tartarus."_

 _"Have any of the Olympians spoken to any of you?"_ I asked.

He shook his head. _"I'm afraid no. They've gone silent mode again. The last contact any of us had_ _with_ _any god was with Charon, when he_ _brought_ _us back to the surface."_

I made a sound between my teeth. I hope they're not planning to sit back and relax while we're dealing with the primordial god of the pit because that would totally make all demigods snap back at their godly parents. A loud boom erupted not far away. I turned toward the hills and saw a thick cloud of smoke coming from where the Third Cohort went for battle. I looked at Nico who looked at me. We both share the same gaze. I turned at the demigods who had gathered outside and shouted orders. _"Dakota! Michael! Prepare your_ _cohorts_ _for battle!_ _Second_ _and Third cohorts stay here and guard!"_

Giant eagles and pegasi poured down to the ground and picked up legionnaires. I quickly jumped up to the nearest pegasus as Nico went ahead using shadow travel. As we flew full speed, the battlefield became clear and the same time, shocking. All around us, a huge flock of Stymphalian birds raided the sky. Below us, the Third Cohort were huddled together, shields held front as various monsters other than the metal birds pushed them from all sides. I spotted some Laistrygonian giants, Scythian Dracanaes, giant snakes, and giant scorpions. A Stymphalian bird swooped in and grabbed a legionnaire. A giant eagle appeared within the ranks and drove its sharp talons to the monster. It bursted into a fine shower of monster dust. Among all the things in the battlefield, what truly surprised me was the large fissure that opened up from the earth. From there, monsters emerged and joined the battle. Thick black smoke curled from the fissure.

I was about to shout an order when a chorus of disembodied voices spoke in my head. _"Turn back. You will lose. Save yourself. Leave the others. Let them die just like how you let yourself kill your father."_

My voice faltered. I should not be affected by it much now but it did. Something from those voices stirred the dark within me: fear and despair. I glanced at my comrades and saw that they, too, are feeling the same. I struggled to push down the feelings and shared my strength to the others. I turned to them and raised my sword. _"Romans! Advance!"_

A loud roar rippled from the legionnaires. We swooped into battle. I jumped down from my pegasus and charged toward a dracanae. It bursted into golden dust. The others began fighting the monsters, pushing them away from the Third Cohort. Above, Frank turned back into human, targeting the metal birds with his now and arrows. I shouted an order to the Third Cohort. Immediately, they rushed into battle. At the back of my head, the voices continued to speak. _"Give up. You will never win. This is the end. Tartarus will destroy the gods. You_ _will_ _all be_ _nothing_ _but ashes and_ _memories_ _."_

I gritted my teeth. _"Not if we can help it."_

I stabbed a Laistrygonian giant on the chest. A Stymphalian bird would have gotten me if it weren't for Nico. I gave him a thankful look. He nodded. We continued fending off the monsters, pushing them and sending back the newly emerged to the fissure. Suddenly, the ground rippled and a force knocked us off our feet. The smoke got thicker. A thunder-like sound reverberated from the fissure. A sound similar to a wicked laugh. The ground moved violently and the fissure grew bigger and longer, snaking down the hills. Screams of panic sounded from below. I watched in horror as the fissure cut through New Rome and opened up into a big hole, similar to a sinkhole. It swallowed the one-half of the Senate House. A shriek snapped me out and saw one legionnaire hanging by the edge of the fissure. I hauled myself up and grabbed his hand. I pulled him out. The ground rumbled. The fissure moving like a mouth full of hungry sharp teeth.

A deep, wicked voice filled hate roared. _"Behold, you lowly_ _mortals_ _! The start of the end of the gods' age!"_

I watched as the smoke shifted into a huge figure of a man. _A_ _monster_. I didn't need a clearer image to know who it is. _Tartarus._ I gripped my sword tightly.

 _"All of you! Every single useless piece of you shall bow down before me! The gods shall_ _bow_ _down and be destroyed before me!_ _A new age shall be born! I will destroy those who dare defy me! Just like how_ _I_ _destroyed your worthless camp!"_

I watched as his smoky figure dispersed and an evil laugh drowned the screams.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Oh, Wow. Another Great Prophecy.**

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~Percy Jackson's POV~

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I've seen enough things to make one scratch his/her head and wonder what in the world is happening but nothing beats the beat up sight of Camp Jupiter. Yet. A very long and wide fissure had snaked its way from the hills toward New Rome where it ended in a huge, _a very huge_ sinkhole. Nico went up the hills to look again from the origin of the fissure. As we stand a reasonable distance away from the hole, I wondered what in Hades did the Senate House do to Tartarus to deserve such cruel punishment. Of course, it wasn't something to think deep when you have a girlfriend who is a daughter of Athena talking.

 _"-bad, very bad."_ Annabeth was saying. _"Tartarus_ _is_ _already starting to move again."_

Leo whistled. _"I hear you. Look how he gave the Senate House a trim."_

I laughed. _"You got me,_ _bro_ _!"_

 _"Percy!"_ Annabeth hissed.

Reyna glared at the two of us. _"This isn't the_ _time_ _to joke_ _around_ _."_

I raised my palms. _"Right. Sorry."_

 _"We need to take this seriously."_ Hazel said. _"Tartarus is already making his move while_ _we_ _are still scrambling our heads,_ _thinking_ _what to do next."_

 _"I agree with Hazel."_ Piper said. _"We are still clueless how to defeat Tartarus. Well, we do know how to defeat him. But the problem is how we will execute it."_

 _"Actually, we're not that clueless, you know."_ Leo chimed in. _"We do_ _know_ _that Camp Half-Blood will be next in Tartarus' cutting session."_

 _"Honestly,_ _I_ _want to smack you upside-down, Leo, but you got a good point."_ Frank said.

Leo spread his arms wide. _"I always do have a good point."_

 _"We can't focus on defending the camps alone."_ Reyna pointed out. _"We need a guide. Double quick."_

 _"Has Rachel spoke anything? Maybe a short insight or better a prophecy?"_ Hazel asked.

Jason shook her head. _"Afraid not. How about Ella and the_ _Sibylline books?"_

 _"Negative."_ Frank frowned. _"Really. We need help and_ _I_ _mean, ASAP. We can't stand here and go with blind_ _directions_ _."_

Fortunately, the answer came just as we need it. From behind Reyna, an image shimmered into a spectrum of light. A voice spoke up. _"Annabeth!"_ It was Will. All of us turned and gathered around the IM. Looking from the image, he wasn't alone. Campers had gathered around, cramped in a place which I guessed was Apollo's cabin.

 _"Will, did_ _something_ _happened?"_ Annabeth asked beside me. Her stormy grey eyes became more alert and concerned.

 _"Yes."_ Will answered then, continued when he saw our expressions. _"_ _But it's not what you think. Camp Half-Blood wasn't attacked. Yet."_

I breathed a sigh of relief. _"_ _Then_ _, what is it?"_

Will's voice turned dead serious. _"A prophecy. Another Great Prophecy."_ He moved from the side and others followed the suit. Etched on one wall of the cabin were Greek writings in gold.

 _Twenty-one_ _days, the gods' demise,_  
 _In life's hand, the fallen shall rise._  
 _Darkness housed the_ _chained_ _,_  
 _The earth's half whose fate shared_ _._

We stood there staring that hideous words.

 _"It just appeared on the wall a few minutes ago."_ Will said. _"Clearly, it is from dad. Guessed he tried to_ _find_ _a way to escape Zeus's punishment for the moment."_

 _"This is_ _bad_ _."_ Frank shook his head. _"Really, really, bad."_

" _Twenty-one_ days..." Hazel muttered. _"The gods' demise..."_

Annabeth paced back and forth, obviously agitated. _"This is the_ _shortest_ _Great Prophecy I've ever seen. To think that we're facing Tartarus and all of it will happen in just twenty-one days!"_

 _"Will."_ I said. _"Has Chiron saw this already?"_

Will nodded. _"Yes. He too, was_ _surprised_ _. He will be calling a_ _meeting_ _as soon as you_ _come_ _back. Mr. D hasn't come back from_ _Olympus_ _. No_ _news_ _from the gods yet._..." Will looked away as a horn sounded from the background. The campers rushed into action. He turned back to us. _"Sorry, guys. Monster attack. Just see you in the meeting later."_ With that, the image disappeared with one swipe of Will's hand.

We looked at each other, sharing the same feeling. _Terror._

Piper spoke, spurring us into action. _"We can't just stand here."_

 _"Piper's right."_ Jason agreed. _"We need to act. Fast."_

Reyna stepped forward. _"_ _Frank, prepare everyone for relocation to Camp Half-Blood. I will go contact the_ _Amazons_ _."_

 _"Roger!"_

 _"Percy,_ _Jason_ _, and_ _I_ _will go contact_ _Thalia and the Hunters of_ _Artemis_ _. The others can go and help with the_ _relocation_ _."_ Annabeth said.

 _"All right, Team Valdez! Let's go and kick Tartarus' butt!"_ Leo cheered.

Frank looked at us. _"Uh...who gave Leo naming rights?"_ We shook our heads.

I turned to Leo. _"Who gave you the right to name our team_ _with_ _your last name? And do we even need a team name?"_

Leo spread his arms wide. _"Come on, guys! We're like already months together kicking evil butts and saving the world! We're famous! That's why_ _I_ _came up with an idea to make a team name."_

 _"Seriously?"_ Hazel asked.

 _"Of_ _course_ _! I've got other names! How about Team McShizzle?"_

 _"No."_ Annabeth said.

 _"Team Awesome?"_

 _"Bro, you sounded like Apollo."_ I said, shuddering at the thought of one of Apollo's infamous haikus.

 _"_ _Humm_ _...how about...Team-"_

Reyna cut him off. _"I'm_ _OK_ _with having a team name,_ _though_ _I_ _solidly agree with everyone else that it's a_ _stupid_ _idea, as long as it's not YOU who will name it and it's sensible."_

Leo placed a hand on his chest. _"That hurts! Like very deep."_

Piper chimed in before Reyna could stab Leo with her gladius. _"Setting aside the team name_ _debate_ _,_ _why_ _don't we go now, help in the_ _relocation_ , _plan how to defeat Tartarus, and save the world again? How does that sound to everyone?"_

 _"Better."_ Annabeth said. We all nodded in agreement except Leo.

 _"What?! We're not going_ _to_ _settle this now?! This is-"_

 _"Come on, Valdez."_ Frank said, pulling Leo with him who tried to struggle free.

As we separate ways, I noticed a figure soaring in circles above the camp before disappearing amidst the thick clouds. I shrugged, thinking it was just a giant eagle in lookout for intruders before following Annabeth and Jason to the Little Tiber.

~Nico di Angelo's POV~

I watched them linger around the humongous sinkhole. Though we all had faced many dangerous foes, they are nothing compared to Tartarus. _Tartarus_ _..._ The terrible scene many days ago flashed back to my mind. It seemed like a dream, a nightmare, yet too real for a dream.

 _''_ _Tell them that I'm dead."_

The exact words Christine had told me for her last wish. At first, I tried to argue yet at last minute, I was forced to comply. _I wasn't able to save her. I must grant it for her sake._ _It's the only_ _things_ _I_ _could do to make up for my unforgivable deed._

I always believed that she asked that because she already knew that it's her last. Now, I am not so sure. I don't want to admit it but I can't determine whether Christine's gone or not. My powers hadn't been working properly since Tartarus took over Erebos. Not just me but also Hazel. I haven't told anyone about it. I don't want to bring false hope especially to Trisha and Clarisse. Yet, I have a subtle feeling that Christine's still alive, somewhere down there.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry about that last update. I needed to ask some things. Though, you can already figure out where this is going. Sort of.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - I Said I'm Dead But I'm Not.**

* * *

~Apollo's POV~

* * *

I touched my arm which was punched by my twin sister a few minutes ago. As I waited for the other line to pick up, I glanced at Artemis who was glaring daggers at me. I know we're exiles, AGAIN, but that doesn't mean you have to punch your handsome and awesome brother. But yet again, Artemis' scary when angry. The other line picked up and a voice spoke in a careful, hushed tone.

 _"Apollo."_

 _"Hey bro. Nice to make us wait while I'm pretending to be my sister's punching bag h-OWWWW! SISTER! MY BEAUTIFUL EAR!"_

 _"Give me the phone, you moron!"_ Artemis hissed and grabbed my 24 carat gold iPhone.

I rubbed my ear, annoyed at my lil' sister's brutality today. _"Why don't you go buy your OWN phone? I mean, come on! We're gods. We can buy loads of these mortal technology. We can even ask for_ _personalized_ _ones."_

Artemis rolled my eyes. " _S_ _imple._ _Because_ _I_ _don't need such things in the wilderness and_ _just_ _to flirt with poor unsuspecting girls. And besides, it's_ _my_ _job to keep_ _them_ _AWAY from you. Now shut up and let me do the talking."_

 _"That's what she says..."_ I mumbled.

Artemis glared at me one last time before returning to the phone. _"Hermes, you still there?"_

 _"Yeah...well, barely..."_

 _"You got the packages? All two of them?"_

 _"Yep. Got them and sent them."_

 _"Good. All we need is for her to find it. She's the one chosen for this."_

 _"How can you, two, be so sure? What if she didn't find it? Will it still take_ _effect_ _? What if Tartarus got her at his side already?"_

 _"It will take effect only if she got her hands on it. The one in camp will appear the same time as she finds it. The others..."_ Artemis turned to me. I gave her an assuring nod. _"Trust us. We know."_

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

 _I thought I was already dead._

 _I'm not._

 _Maybe not now._

 _Soon._

Darkness surrounded me as I descended down. Wind whistled in my ears. Cold touched my skin as the ghastly purple hand gripped on my ankle, pulling me down but I didn't tried to struggle. My body felt limp and exhausted. I kept drifting back and forth to short naps. Honestly, I don't know whether I'm awake or sleep. All I see is the inky blackness of my surroundings. _How long I've been falling? Hours? Days?_

A sudden shift in the air jolted me out of my sleepiness. The sky turned from black to a mixture of blood-red and hazy grey around me. Below, the ground glinted black along a long river of fire. I gathered my strength and willed the wind to cushion my fall. I landed on my feet. Instantly, I was hit with a wave of exhaustion and collapsed on my knees. Sharp pain shot on my palms. I turned my palms and saw blood. Small pieces of black glass had embedded on my palms. My breathing become laboured. The sulphurous air began to make breathing difficult. I tried to stand up but my legs failed me. Dark spots blotted my vision. Above all of these was a laughter I knew very well. Before of me, a looming figure stood amidst the fiery river.

 _"My, how pitiful you looked now, my dear Christine. Painful, isn't? This is just a fraction of what I will make those who dare oppose me feel."_

 _"Tartarus..."_ I wheezed. _"You will not succeed. Never."_

He reached out and lifted my chin to look at him. The black vortex of his face swirled. I felt like I was being sucked in. _"Is that so? You don't know the limit of my power. The gods fear me. You fear me."_ He tilted his head. _"That is just simply your opinion. It can be changed. It will change. Soon, you will join me. You will help me overthrow the gods. For now,"_ The vortex swirled faster. _"You will stay here. I assure you, you will not die. See this river of fire? Drink its water and you shall survive my domain. I will make you remember everything. Slowly but surely. I will help you harness your true power and then, a new age will begin."_ With that, he disappeared but not before I caught a glimpse of two beings from the figures in his armor.

As soon as Tartarus disappeared, I hauled myself up toward the river. Acting more on my instincts rather than Tartarus' words, I drank. The water tasted too terrible that I felt like vomiting. My body collapse completely and convulsed for a moment before it finally calmed down. The fog in my mind had completely lifted up and everything came into clarity. Strength began to pulse back in my veins. Carefully, I stood up and assessed my surroundings. I don't need a careful study to know that Tartarus had personally pulled me down to his domain. My sword is nowhere to be found nor my backpack.

I sighed. _Great. Now what?_ I know I should be panicking but I can't afford to. Yes, Tartarus won't let me die yet I'm pretty sure he will not let my stay in his domain any pleasant. I tried to remember the story about Percy and Annabeth's descent here in Tartarus. Some of details were already irrelevant to my own situation but it's the best I could use as a guide. The Doors of Death could be my ticket out of Tartarus but it's no longer here. There would be no other way out. Tartarus will never let me out unless I succumbed to his evil.

As I moved along the bank of Phlegethon, I wondered what in Hades have I've gotten into. Pieces from the last events came back to me. _Tartaru_ s _' invasion in the upper Underworld._ _Trisha. Hades._ _Nico._ _My_ _fight_ _with_ _Tartarus. The voice in my head. My fall into the pit. The memories Tartarus was trying to show me...the memories..._ A sudden headache hit me. My sight blurred. My surroundings looked fluid before shifting into something more terrible, more evil, before coming back to normal. I held my breath, clutching my head. _This place...what_ _I'm_ _seeing...it's simply a cover to what really is._ I looked and spun wildly at my surroundings. _What do you really need for?! What_ _I_ _have to serve a purpose to you?! Why me?! Mom...Please help me..._ I would have been ripped to pieces if I didn't heard the distant scuttlings coming to my direction. I hastily jumped behind a huge rock. As it grew louder, I lowered myself. I didn't dare to look. I know enough that those are monsters. I waited as they are reasonably far away. I sighed in relief. I can't get myself involved in a fight unarmed. I must find something to help me fend off myself. I leaned my head on the rock, thinking how and where should I continue. As I think, a faint voice whispered from the humming in my head.

 _"Near..."_

I shot upright. _"Near? Near what?"_ I whispered. I looked around.

 _"Near..."_ It repeated. _"Soon..."_

 _"I don't_ _understand_ _."_

 _"Find the shrine of the messenger god. Something's waiting for you."_

 _"What is waiting for me?"_ I asked, a bit of desperation in my voice.

 _"Answers..."_ Then, the voice winked out, together with the static.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - Clovis: The Ultimate Dreamer. I Mean Literally.**

* * *

I followed the length of Phlegethon river, doing my best to avoid monsters on the way. Not that I can't fight. I can make use of lightning and wind to fend off myself but after that, my body will become very exhausted that I can't move unless I took a rest. I haven't had any food nor drink since my descent to the Underworld. My backpack and sword must have been lost in the river's currents. My throat felt dry and my legs felt jelly but I continued walking. I wondered what is now happening above. _I hope Trisha's fine._ I ducked down next to looming cliff, out of sight from some monsters flying overhead. Far at my left, I could make out a long river of glittering dark blue, River Cocytus. A little more walk toward the river and I could hear the cries of tortured souls churning in its currents, whispering in my mind. At best, I tried not to walk too close beside the river, especially now that the distance between the two rivers is getting narrow. I took a minute rest, settling near Phlegethon river. I drank and waited for the terrible taste to fade a bit in my taste buds before continue walking.

Soon enough, the river branched out into a delta of smoke and fire. Standing on a ridge, I caught a glimpse of broken black columns on a crater. As I climbed down, a large altar within the circle of columns came into a view. A shrine. The words from the voice in my head came rushing back to me. _Find the shrine of the messenger god. Something's waiting for you._ I looked at the crumbling columns, blending with the thick dark fog that was starting to come into view far from the shrine as I descended. _The messenger god. Hermes. That must be Hermes' shrine._ I continued climbing down, carefully watching my footing, until I reached the shrine. I cautiously entered the circle of stone columns, looking for any signs of danger, before approaching the altar, hoping for something. Empty.

I groaned in exasperation. _"Really?! Is this a sick joke?"_ I'm in Tartarus, for Olympus' sake! I have no time for jokes! Exhausted and agitated, I settled down by the side of the altar.

I sighed. I can't walk any farther. I need to rest. With that, I closed my eyes and wished for a dreamless sleep.

Very wishful as I may say.

 _All_ _I_ _see was pure darkness._ _Nothing. Soon, a soupy mist materialized in front of me. It swirled and churned_. _Its matter spreading out all over the inky blackness._ _Slowly, the matter collected and_ _formed_ _a beautiful sphere_ _of_ _blue and_ _green_ _. Over it, a layer dotted of white clouds came into existence. Stars and other celestial objects began to form also out of the mist. I inhaled sharply. I must be seeing how everything started._ _As everything came into shape, a figure floated toward me from the mist. A man. His figure blended with the surroundings,_ _almost_ _invisible, but his eyes were bright gold. I stared at his eyes. For a moment,_ _I_ _saw_ _everything_ _that was bound to happen. The birth of the Titans. The fall of_ _Ouranos_ _. The Golden Age. The birth of the Olympians. The fall of Kronos. The reign of the Olympians and the next events in the_ _coming_ _millenia. I gasped. He must be Chronos! I tried to speak but no voice came out. I struggled to break_ _my_ _gaze._ _From_ _his hands, a silver egg, almost as big as a_ _small_ _barrel, appeared. He offered it to me and_ _I_ _took it. As_ _I_ _took hold of it, the egg cracked and bright light bursted out. I let go of it. From the light,_ _a handsome_ _fully grown_ _man appeared. He wore a bronze_ _helmet_ _and held a long bronze staff_ _on_ _one hand. He has wings made of bronze. A serpent of_ _glinting_ _green and brown scales was entwined around him. He was_ _radiating_ _light and goodness. Warmth seeped_ _through_ _me, bringing the life back to my limbs and the voice in my throat. He raised his staff and bright light flared up._

 _The light died down and the dream shifted._ _I was in a room. A cabin, perhaps. I looked around. Not far next to me, a fireplace stood with a crackling fire. Above the mantel hangs a tree branch dripping some kind of water into tin bowls. At the background, soft violin music was playing. There are plenty of empty beds with feather pillows, fresh sheets and fluffy quilts. The cabin is cozy and comfortable, not too dramatic unlike_ _the_ _others_. _Beside me, a blonde stocky camper was snoring. I immediately recognized him, the head counselor of Hypnos cabin, Clovis._

 _"Clovis?" I reached out to him, surprised that_ _I_ _was able to touch him. "Clovis?" I called again._

 _His eyes fluttered open suddenly,_ _I_ _jumped_ _back in surprise._ _He shifted, yawned, and turned to me._ _"Christine...?" He rubbed his eyes and stared at me with wide eyes. "Christine Galliardo?!"_

 _I_ _hesitated_ _. "Uh...yeah. That's me."_

 _"You're alive?!"_

 _I shrugged casually. ''The last time_ _I_ _checked,_ _I_ _am."_

 _"We_ _thought_ _you're gone. Nico told us so."_

 _I shifted on my feet. I'm starting to feel uneasy. "No...not really. I was the one_ _that told_ _him to say that." I looked at my_ _surroundings_ _again,_ _anxious_ _to change the topic. "Hey. You're a Hypnos' kid. How did_ _I_ _got here?"_

 _He_ _yawned_ _. "My fault, sorry. I dream too powerfully. Maybe,_ _I_ _got pulled you off course to what you should be dreaming now. I am_ _just_ _an_ _a_ _stral_ _projection. The real me's still sleeping."_

 _"I see." I nodded in understanding . "Not bad at all. I need some break from weird dreams sometimes."_

 _"If you want to know how the camps was fairing..." He shook his head. "It's not good. I heard Camp Jupiter got attacked by Tartarus. Chances are Camp Half-Blood will be the next."_

 _I cursed under my breath._

 _"The thing is," Clovis continued. "Tartarus attacked twelve days after your supposed death, even though he could attack anytime. Weird, isn't? Did you delay him?"_

 _My eyes went wide. "Twelve days?! That long already?!"_

 _He tilted his head. "Yeah. Why so_ _surprised_ _?"_

 _I took a shaky breath. "Clovis_ _..._ _I'm_ _in_ _Tartarus," Clovis was about to say something but_ _I_ _continued_ _. "and as far as I'm concerned,_ _I_ _may have already stayed here, including my fall to this stupid place, for a few days no longer than twelve."_

 _He looked down on his palms. "Well, that's no surprise. Time flows different in Tartarus. Hours may already be days here. Your few days stay there in Tartarus is already twelve days here aboveground."_

 _I ran my hand through my hair. Frustration began building up in me. I was about to speak when the surroundings began ripple. Clovis looked at me but his appearance began to turn indistinct._

 _"You're already waking up. No more time left." He said._

 _"What?" I bit my lip. "Listen carefully Clovis. Tell the others I'm alive, where_ _I_ _am, everything. See if you can send supplies here_ _._ _I'm staying at Hermes' shrine here in Tartarus. Percy and Annabeth know what I'm talking about. If you_ _could_ _, try pulling me off course next_ _time_ _and tell me everything happening up_ _there_. _I_ _will also update you if something_ _happened_ _down here._ _You got all of that?"_

 _Clovis nodded. He spoke up but this time, it's a different yet_ _familiar_ _voice._

 _"It's_ _finally_ _here."_

I woke up with a headache. I massaged my temples and waited for the pain to subside. My eyes had quite became accustomed to the darkness of the pit. I watched the distant storm front. A red lightning cut through the sky. I slowly stood up and stretched a bit. At the corner of my eye, I saw a parcel on the altar. I picked up the small card and read.

 _"Sent to: Christine Galliardo_  
 _Address: Hermes'_ _shrine_ _, Tartarus_  
 _Sent by: Your awesome friend, Apollo"_

There was a haiku attached but I don't dared to read it. I already got the general idea what it contains. I picked up a small rock with a sharp edge and cut through the duct tape. Inside were a silver arrow and a piece of paper. I picked up the arrow and gingerly studied it. Etched on its length were the words: _I am the_ _f_ _aint light that cuts through the bonds of the dark past._ My eyes lingered on the arrow for another moment before turning to the piece of paper. I placed the arrow back on the box and picked the paper. I unfolded it and read the writings in gold.

 _Twenty-one days, the gods' demise,_  
 _In life's hand, the fallen shall rise._  
 _Darkness housed the chained,_  
 _The earth's half whose fate shared._

At that moment, I felt that the world had finally been thrown out of complete balance.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 - I Need Apollo As My Calligraphy Teacher**

* * *

~Jason Grace's POV~

* * *

As soon as we landed on Camp Half-Blood, Will approached us and led us to Apollo's cabin. We all stood there, gathered around the terrible wall of attention.

Percy whistled. _"Though Apollo composes terrible haiku, he's quite good at calligraphy."_

 _"I_ _should_ _get him to teach me."_ I said.

 _"Me too."_ Frank said.

" _That's only possible if Apollo's no_ _longer_ _an exile."_ Leo added.

Reyna face-palmed. _"Leave the idiotic_ _comments_ _to the boys."_

Piper walked up and gingerly touched the gold writings. Annabeth stood beside her, going through the prophecy for the hundredth time.

 _Twenty-one days, the gods' demise,_  
 _In life's hand, the fallen shall rise._  
 _Darkness housed the chained,_  
 _The earth's half whose fate shared._

 _"The first line is easy to_ _understand_ _."_ Connor said. _"After twenty-one days, Tartarus will destroy the gods."_

 _"Thank you very much, Mr. Obvious. We totally DIDN'T notice that."_ Clarisse sneered.

 _"Hey! Just trying_ _to_ _help."_

 _"How about the second line?"_ Lou said, ignoring the two. _"In life's hand, the fallen shall rise? Who does_ _life_ _referred to? And most especially, the fallen?"_

 _"The life part might be_ _referring_ _to_ _a god."_ Butch said. _"_ _Maybe_ _the god of life? But I'm pretty sure all gods have the power to give life."_

 _"The fallen part is what troubles me the most."_ Katie said. _"Well, we've been through two major wars. The fallen part may refer to monsters or even great_ _baddies_ _like Kronos or even Gaia, which I'm pretty sure that everyone thinks is not a good thing."_

 _"If it's through life's hand that the fallen will rise, then, it's truly not a good thing."_ Nico said. His eyes were ghoulish than usual and his skin paler like he hasn't slept for days now.

Percy leaned in and whispered. _"You okay, bro? You're turning pale."_

 _"I'm trying not to think about ghosts."_ I muttered, remembering Ithaca.

 _"Oh! That!"_ Percy smirked. He patted me in the back. Beside him, Leo snickered. _"That's alright. At least, you experienced what was it like to be old and wise, you know."_

 _"What?!"_

Percy raised his hands and pointed to Leo. _"Not me. Leo started it. He told us to spy you guys."_

 _"Whoa there! Why me?"_ Leo formed a timeout sign with his arms.

 _"Because the spyglass is yours?"_

 _"Thank you very much, Water Boy."_ Leo grumbled.

 _"Don't ever call me_ _that_ _again."_

" _The third seemed a bit unusual."_ Frank said.

 _"Not really."_ Will said. _"Chained could simply mean those beings punished by the gods. Like Prometheus."_

 _"And the Darkness refers to the Underworld?"_ Hazel asked.

 _"Yeah."_ Annabeth nodded, turning to face us. Her stormy grey eyes darkened. _"Or even Tartarus."_ The name brought a heavy pressure in the atmosphere. Some shifted nervously.

 _"The fourth line._ _"_ Chiron spoke turned as something caught his attention. _"Travis. Could you please not try to write on Clovis' face with a marker?"_

Travis looked up like an animal caught in headlights. He hid the marker that was only a few centimeters away from Clovis' face behind him and gave a sideways smile. Chiron sighed. Clovis shifted, mumbling the word _Tartarus_ in his sleep.

 _"I hope he isn't dreaming about Tartarus."_ Percy said, glancing at Clovis with concern.

Reyna was about to speak when Nico jerked in his seat.

 _"What is it, Nico?"_ Will asked.

Nico looked at us with eyes filled with realization. _"Hypnos kids dream powerfully, right?"_ We all nodded. _"What if they can look over at Tartarus and see if they can get anything about the protogenos' plans?"_ We all looked at each other, trying to process what Nico had said.

 _"_ _That_ _may work."_ Annabeth said. _"But it's uncertain whether Tartarus can_ _interfere_ _with dreams. Chances are he may try to alter their dreamscape."_

 _"But it's worth the try, isn't?"_ Reyna asked. _"We can't go on without any information about our enemy' movement."_

Annabeth turned to Chiron. _"Should we try it, Chiron?"_

Chiron looked at us. He seemed to age so much since last week. _"It's well worth the_ _effort_ _."_ He nodded toward Clovis. _"Please wake Clovis up."_

 _"Is he really sleeping or is he just pretending to be asleep?"_ Leo asked as the others stood up to help wake Clovis up.

I simply shrugged. I don't know how to determine whether Clovis is really asleep or awake but looked like asleep. Yeah, I've been in meetings with him and still, I can't tell the difference.

After a full two minute waking up session, Clovis stirred from his sleep. He gave an almighty yawn and rubbed his eyes. He stared at us with sleepy blue eyes.

 _"Uh...it seemed I fell asleep. Did_ _I_ _miss a lot?"_ He asked.

 _"No. Not really."_ Pollux answered. _"Just the discussion about the prophecy."_

 _"Oh."_

 _"Clovis, Nico here."_ Piper gestured. _"Thought of an idea. You guys dream_ _powerfully_ _,_ _right_ _? You think you can look over at the Pit and see if you can get_ _anything_ _about the enemy' movement?"_

Clovis blinked. _"I_ _think_ _we can_ _do_ _that."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yeah_."

 _"That's good."_ Hazel said. _"At least, we got-"_

Clovis cut her off. _"But."_ We all turned to him.

 _"But what?"_ Chiron asked.

 _"Well,"_ He yawned. _"I_ _rather_ _look out for someone down there in Tartarus. She already offered to serve as our eyes and ears down there but her_ _situation_ _isn't good in any way."_

 _"What do you mean? Who is She?"_ Percy asked.

Clovi _s_ stared at us and spoke casually. _"Oh...I haven't told you yet? Christine Galliardo is_ _alive_ _. She's in Tartarus."_

* * *

~Hermes' POV~

* * *

I watched the head demigods discuss things through the window of Apollo's cabin. My disguise perfectly blends in with the demigods gathered outside. I glanced at the blonde girl with an Imperial Gold charm bracelet.

 _Everything is finally setting into motion._

 _A_ _ll we are waiting for is her first move._

* * *

~Hera's POV~

* * *

The Iris message shimmered before me. Hermes has done well. The fight is just about to start. Not here above but below.

 _May the Fates watch over you, my dearest daughter._

* * *

~Trisha Ledger's POV~

* * *

I fingered the dove pendant of Christine's charm bracelet as I waited with the others outside Apollo's cabin. Ever since last week, the camps have been busier and more chaotic than usual. Head demigods from both camps go back and forth to exchange information. Today's meeting has been their longest yet. I glanced worriedly at the cabin door. _I wonder what's holding them up._ _I hope everything is_ _fine_ _._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - How Do the Olympians Discuss the End of the World?**

* * *

~Hermes' POV~

* * *

Great. Another meeting. Another round of stupid bickering from my relatives. I scanned through my Instagram account as I listened to the ranting of Ares.

 _"_ _That_ _smelly punk destroyed Camp Jupiter!"_ He rambled. _"I wouldn't allow it! I will smash that protogenos' skull to bits!"_

 _"Right."_ Hephaestus mocked. _"As if you can move a few centimeters closer to Tartarus_ _without_ _getting blasted into godly ashes."_

 _"I_ _second_ _that."_ I said. _"No one wants to go to Tartarus, idiot. Bet you two tickets to whatever place you want, a fabulous secret_ _prank_ _collection_ _of mine, and a collection of war items from World War II that you will wet your pants even BEFORE you descend to the_ _Underworld_ _."_

Athena raised her hand dutifully. _"I will side with Hermes and Hephaestus. You're a downright no-brain coward, Ares."_

Poseidon laughed. _"_ _Oooohhh_ _..._ _burn_ _."_

Hades frowned. _"Saying something opposite of your element doesn't seemed to make sense at all."_

Dionysus rolled his eyes. _"Morons."_

 _"Now, now,"_ Demeter chided. _"I_ _think_ _we should get down to business. But before that,"_ A box of cereals appeared in her hands. _"Cereals_ _anyone_ _?"_

A collective groan echoed in the throne room.

 _"We will have cereals tomorrow_ _morning_ _, Demeter."_ Zeus said. _"But for now, let's settle things."_ He looked around us. _"As you may know, Tartarus is planning to avenge Gaea and destroy us. He had already started moving. Frequent earthquakes. Sinkholes. Fast reformation of monsters. Attack on the camps."_ He glanced at Hades. _"Invasion of the upper Underworld."_ He looked around us. _"We can't let him win. That's why we're going to turn the tables as soon as possible. The Olympian council is open for suggestions. Anyone?"_

Aphrodite raised her hand. _"I got a question. Charging straight to Tartarus won't work, right?"_

Athena rolled her eyes. _"Obviously."_

 _"Oh. That's good."_ Aphrodite smiled. _"I don't want my manicure ruined, and besides, the Pit stinks._ _Like_ _eww."_

" _Any suggestions?"_ Zeus asked impatiently.

 _"We could wait for_ _him_ _to appear aboveground, away from his domain, and defeat_ _him_ _."_ Poseidon said.

 _"A good idea, Barnacle Beard, that coming from you."_ Athena sneered. _"But guess what, the earth is Gaea's_ _domain_ _and Gaea is_ _Tartarus_ _' wife. So basically, we're immortal talking monkeys."_

 _"Athena insulting herself?"_ I mused. _"That's a first."_

Athena glared at me. _"I will chain you on a chair_ _with_ _the Aegis looking at you for the rest of your immortal life."_

Now, I won't admit that I squeaked in fear. Really. I won't.

 _"Why am_ _I_ _stuck with these buffoons?"_ Dionysus muttered. _"How_ _about_ _we wait for Tartarus to go up the surface_ _then_ _, snatch him up the sky, and kill him?"_

 _"Technically,"_ I said. _"We can't actually kill a protogenos. We can just destroy their physical form."_

 _"Finally, something decent coming from Hermes."_ Athena exclaimed.

I was about to say something but decided against it. I don't want to have the Aegis looking my way for the rest of my immortal life.

 _"Only that?"_ Ares asked. _"Easy peasy."_

 _"Yeah. It's easy."_ I mumbled. _"But that's not the way things will work. Not with the Fates."_

Everyone turned their attention on me.

 _"What do you mean, Hermes?"_ Zeus asked. Everyone waited eagerly for my explanation.

I inhaled. Here goes nothing. _"Apollo sent out a_ _prophecy_ _to Camp Half-Blood."_

Gasps echoed in the throne room. Lightning flashed overhead. Thunder rumbled. Zeus stood up. _"WHAT?!"_ He roared. _"THAT_ _HARD HEADED_ _CHILD! I HAD FORBIDDEN HIM TO LET ANY PROPHECY OUT!"_

I had hit the right nerve. I braced myself and spoke casually. _"But he did. He had let a prophecy out. Actually, two prophecies. One has already_ _passed_ _."_

 _"THAT-"_

 _"Brother, please calm down."_ Hestia said gently. _"We will sort this out, alright?"_

Zeus gritted his teeth and sat back down.

Hephaestus spoke up. _"So, if Apollo had let a_ _prophecy_ _out...that means we can't handle this ourselves."_

 _"Indeed, we can't interfere as much as we want to."_ Athena nodded.

 _"So, what now?"_ Aphrodite asked as she twirled a finger around a strand of her hair.

I looked at everyone. _"We wait."_

* * *

~Nico di Angelo's POV~

* * *

Abrupt silence slapped us in the face. We all stared at Clovis with disbelief. Clarisse pounded the wall, making us jump in surprise. Her face was contorted into absolute anger.

 _"Stop joking around!"_ She growled. _"Here we are, talking about the end of the world while you're just sleeping and dreaming-"_

Clovis stood up. _"I'm not joking_ _around_ _."_ He shot back. _"Yes,_ _I'm_ _always sleeping. Yes, I'm always dreaming. But that doesn't mean_ _I_ _would make up stuff that were actually true."_ He said. _"Christine is really alive, down there in Tartarus. I accidentally pulled her off course in her dream a few hours ago. She told me everything. She-"_

 _"Whoa! Whoa! Stop there!"_ Will said, forming a timeout sign. _"Let's calm down first and_ _take this slowly, alright?"_

He took Clarisse's hand away from the wall. She snatched it away, glaring at Clovis. I held my breath. Will's ability to defuse anyone's anger never cease to amaze me. Piper ushered Clovis to ease back down to the bed he was sitting moments ago.

Will inhaled. _"Alright. Let's start. Clovis,"_ He gestured to the head counselor of Cabin Fifteen. _"Tell us_ _everything_ _."_

 _"Well,_ _just_ _like_ _I_ _said. I accidentally pulled Christine- her astral projection- out of her supposed dream a few_ _hours_ _ago._ _We didn't have enough time to talk because she's already waking up. But apparently, she's in Tartarus._ _"_

 _"Tartarus?!"_ Hazel gasped. She looked at Percy and Annabeth who both turned pale.

 _"That's_ _incredulous_ _!"_ Clarisse pointed out. _"Nico said that she_ _was_ _gone! And he IS a son of Hades for Olympus' sake!"_

My shoulder slumped as everyone turned to me.

 _"Nico."_ Reyna's voice was commanding yet patient. Her eyes met mine, sending a simple message. _Please tell us the truth._ I touched the hole on the knee of my jeans.

 _"I..."_ I sighed in defeat. I met their eyes. _"Honestly,_ _I_ _don't know."_ A few gasps. _"I can't determine whether Christine is alive or not. Maybe because Tartarus was interfering with my powers. What_ _I_ _said...I don't know, maybe a lie, maybe the truth, but Christine asked me to_ _tell_ _everyone that before_ _she_ _fell to Tartarus. It's her last wish. The least_ _I_ _can do was to grant it. I'm so sorry."_ I looked down on my palms.

From the corner of my eye, Hazel stood up and wrapped her hands on mine. _"Nico."_ Her voice was gentle. _"It's alright. It's just that...you should have told us sooner."_

 _"I'm sorry."_ I repeated.

Will patted my back. _"We understand so, don't dare going emo all day, di Angelo. You, too,_ _Clarisse_ _."_

 _"Shut up."_ We muttered in unison.

Clarisse made a face of disgust. I cursed. Everyone laughed, lightening the oppressive mood.

 _"At least, we got some_ _good_ _news."_ Jason said.

 _"So,"_ Piper said. _"Anything more, Clovis?"_

 _"Yeah._ _"_ Clovis nodded. _"Christine_ _was_ _asking if we could send her supplies. She said she's staying by Hermes' shrine down there."_

 _"Why was one of dad's shrines down there in Tartarus?"_ Connor frowned.

 _"Is he delivering stuff down there? Like, some beauty_ _rations_ _for the empousai or whitening soap for Tartarus?"_ Travis asked.

 _"Idiots."_ Katie muttered.

 _"Gentlemen,"_ Percy wrapped his arms around the twin. _"That's a mystery yet to be solved."_

 _"We can do that."_ Annabeth nodded. _"We just need to burn the supplies at the pavilion and it will pop up in the shrine."_

 _"But, Annabeth,"_ Piper interrupted. _"After that, what_ _should_ _we do? We can't let Christine stay down there_ _forever_ _."_

 _"She's right."_ Frank said, glancing at Clarisse who grew silent. _"We need to help her get out of Tartarus_ _especially_ _now that the Doors of Death is no longer there."_

 _"But first things first, what had really happened_ _twelve days ago?"_ Lou asked.

Butch turned to me. _"I think Nico could answer that."_ He nodded in my direction. " _After all, he's the one who happened to be there ahead of us."_

I inhaled. I told them what transpired back in the Underworld twelve days ago. My meeting with Trisha by the River Styx. The invasion of Tartarus in Underworld and the capture of my father and his minions which were told to me by Trisha. The battle of Christine against Tartarus. Her wish. And ultimately, her fall to the Pit. I didn't mention the unusual ability of Christine to control lightning, though aerokinesis is possible since her mother is the wife of Zeus. After I told them everything, I glanced at Chiron who seemed to be pondering on my words.

 _"Tartarus wants something_ _from_ _her, am_ _I_ _right, Nico? To avenge Gaea and to destroy the gods?"_ He asked.

I nodded. _"Yes, sir."_

 _"But what would_ _Christine_ _have that Tartarus needs to carry out his revenge?"_ Will asked.

Everyone looked at me with expectation. I shook my head. _"I don't_ _know_ _."_

We looked at each other grimly. Finally, Chiron spoke up. _"I will try to contact Mr. D today and see if_ _I_ _can get anything about what's happening_ _in_ _Olympus. Connor, Travis, I will leave the supplies meant to be sent to Christine to the two of you. Annabeth, Percy, please_ _supervise_ _the Stolls and make sure they will send_ _supplies_ _that will be really of use. Clovis, try to pull Christine out in her dreams again. The others, please prepare."_

 _"Chiron, I-"_

 _"Clarisse."_ He met the Ares head counselor's eyes. _"Worry not. We will think of a way to get Christine out of_ _Tartarus_ _. For now, ready the others for battle. Tartarus may come at us_ _anytime_ _."_

Clarisse' jaw tensed. _"Fine."_

 _"We have a war worse than the last coming at us."_ Chiron said. _"Let us hope that the Fates are with us."_

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

I gripped the side of the altar. My head swirled. _Why? Why me?_ I held the paper with trembling hands, reading the lines for the second time.

 _Twenty-one days, the gods' demise,_  
 _In life's hand, the fallen shall rise._  
 _Darkness housed the chained,_  
 _The earth's half whose fate shared._

 _Twenty-one days?! This can't be happening! Which twenty-one days? Here in Tartarus or aboveground? How would I know the number of days left above if time flows differently here?_ I clutched my head as pain struck it. Apollo's words back in camp, the memories induced by Tartarus, and the dream came rushing back at me. A simple question enveloped my whole being.

 _Who really am I?_

I sank down. I buried my head in my hands. _Who really am I? Why is this happening to me? Why me? Mom...help me...Please..._ I sobbed. I felt so confused, so frustrated. I felt _lost_. The cries of the tortured souls in the River Cocytus rang in my ears. I felt my sanity slipping out of my grasp. Tartarus' offer sounded promising. A new age. A new beginning. A world I will mold on my own. No pain. No sorrow. No gods that will force you to do things against your will. A world that will make me happy. Yes...I should join Tartarus. Destroy the gods. Renew this corrupted world. Rule.

" _No...you must not...that isn't you, after all...it's not what you want..."_

I snapped out of my horrid thoughts. The humming had returned. Softer and gentler this time yet urgent. From a distance, white light flicker amidst the thick gloom. I blinked.

" _Your friends had come to help you...remember them...hold unto them...follow me..."_

Camp smoke filled my nostrils. I stood up and turned around. A big backpack materialized on the altar. Fading smoke curled from its leather. I touched the cooling leather and opened it. Inside were a thermos of nectar, another thermos filled with water, two Zip locks of ambrosia bars, a number of Zip locks filled with food, a pad of paper, a pen, a lighter, a change of clothes, and other stuff. Beside it were a Celestial Bronze bow and a quiver of Celestial Bronze arrows. Wrapped around the length of the bow was a piece of paper.

 _Yo, Christine!_

 _How are you? It's us, the Stoll twins! Hope you're doing alright for the moment. We thought you're dead but BAM! You're alive! You must have trolled Thanatos. Clovis told us everything. We sent you supplies as soon as we can. We also thought of sending weapons to you, in case you need it. We have to go call over to Dad to let us send it because you know, metal just melt in fire. Hoping he heard us, we managed to send a bow and a quiver of arrows because we were like 'Man, Christine's got a sword. How about something long range?' Everyone's worried up here. We're thinking of a way to get you out of there. Send us a message before you leave Dad's shrine, alright? Be careful. Give those monsters a good thrashing!_

 _Yours truly,_  
 _Connor and Travis_

 _P.S. Clarisse's scary when worried. Your Aphrodite friend is alright. Don't worry. Bring us back plenty of drakon jerky. Heard those taste great from Percy._

I wiped my tears and smiled. _Those guys...even though they're idiotic and annoying at times...it's so stupid of me to think of giving up._ From the backpack, I took out the paper and the pen. I began writing a message. After I finished writing, I folded it and pulled out the lighter. I lighted the paper and let it burn on the altar. I ate first and burned some to offer my thanks to the gods especially to Hermes. I slung the backpack on my shoulders and fixed the quiver on my sword belt and held the bow. I looked at the thick gloom. The light flickered again like a lighthouse on a vast sea. I glanced at the shrine one more time and continued my way.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 - How To Defeat Curses? Flatten Them With Trees!**

* * *

~Trisha Ledger's POV~

* * *

 _I can't believe it! Christine's alive?_

I watched as Clarisse paced back and forth in front of me, completely troubled.

 _"So, what are we gonna do? We can't just barged in to Tartarus, you know."_ I said.

 _"Yes. I know._ _Chiron_ _said we wait until we can find a way to get Christine back."_

" _What?!_ " I exclaimed in disbelief. _"We can't do that! We don't know what Tartarus want from Christine! We can't wait until he gets it her! We can't wait while Christine is-"_

Clarisse gently gripped my shoulders. _"I know. I_ _know_ _. But_ _it's the only thing we can do."_

I touched the Imperial Gold charm bracelet around my wrist. _"I'm worried."_

 _"All_ _of_ _us are."_ Clarisse said. _"But Christine's tough. She can survive. We just need to believe in her."_

I inhaled. _"Yeah."_

Clarisse let go and smiled. _"While waiting, let's get stronger. I've got a bone to pick_ _up_ _with Christine when she gets back."_

I laughed. _"She got you good."_

 _"Beginner's luck."_ Clarisse patted me on the shoulder. _"You too. Get stronger."_

 _"Yeah. Yeah. I got it, Mom."_ I joked.

Clarisse raised her eyebrow and a barrage of insults on my weapon handling came to my way. I insulted her in her fashion sense and teased her about Chris. I looked up at the sky as we walked toward the arena.

 _Get back to us safe and alive, Christine._

* * *

~Hera's POV~

* * *

I watched as the sky darkened above the ruins of one of my temples. _Zeus has found me. I must keep moving again._

I sighed in exhaustion. _"How long?"_ I asked.

 _"How long?"_ Three voices repeated in unison. _"Soon, Your Majesty, soon."_ From a swirl of golden light, out came the Fates. Their black robes almost melting with the shadows.

 _"We have only twenty days left, yet my_ _daughter_ _hasn't unleashed even one-eight of her true power. She doesn't_ _even_ _know she's a goddess! Nor my husband know she's his daughter! Tell me what is truly happening!"_

 _"How the future will be molded is according to how the_ _chosen_ _will hold the sin of the past."_ One of the Fates said. _"We are merely creating paths for all decisions made. All of which now will branch to two major results:_ _destruction_ _or_ _preservation_ _of the gods' legacy."_

 _"What do you_ _mean_ _? What sin of the past are you referring to?"_

 _"_ _The_ _sin done by_ _your_ _own_ _husband_ _."_ Another said. _"The sin_ _that_ _is the very core of your daughter's_ _existence_ _. The_ _sin_ _that will be inevitably judged on by the victim. And the judgement made shall be the path of world: destruction or preservation."_

I gasped, realizing the truth. I wanted to speak but I can't. _T-This can't be!_

 _"Yes. It is him. He_ _has_ _returned. The First King."_ The Fates nodded.

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

I followed the light as it flickered. I stumbled upon a forest. Towering trees rose up in the gloom. All black and bare. _Dead._ As soon as I entered the forest, my senses had been in red alert. Every muscle in my body was tense. I could feel a presence nearby but couldn't pinpoint the exact location. I pulled out an arrow and nocked it in my bow. I walked slowly and carefully, turning around at times. _This is the Forest of Curses. This where Percy and Annabeth_ _encountered_ _the arai._ I reminded myself. _I_ _must_ _be careful. I couldn't afford to get_ _cursed_. My arrow struck a nearby tree the moment I heard a rough scratching. The sound of breaking of the trunk reverberated throughout the forest. Silence. Then, came the collective flapping of leathery wings and terrible screeches. The arai surrounded me, perched on the bare branches of trees, circling above me, and landing on the ground. I didn't nocked an arrow but rather, prepared to the run.

Their raspy voices whispered in my ears. _"Another unfortunate half-blood."_ They whispered in amusement. _"The gods must have no longer cared for_ _their lesser offsprings."_

My grip tightened around my bow. _"What_ _do_ _you want? Are you here to curse me_ _to_ _death?"_

 _"Feisty little godling, aren't you? Alas, we cannot kill you, daughter of Hera. If we do, we will face the wrath of Tartarus. But fortunately, we are allowed_ _one_ _thing_ _."_ The arai bared their sharp teeth. _"To curse you until you succumb in Tartarus' wishes!"_

I ducked as one of them swooped in. I hit one with my bow and sent flying it toward a tree. The others swooped in and leaped at me but I quickly rolled toward an open. I dashed as quickly as I can. I could here the flapping of wings behind me and chorus of disembodied voices of the arai urging me to give up.

I reached out and shot lightning at a nearby tree, flattening the unfortunate ones to ugly arai pancakes. Above me, some of the arai had gathered and swooped in front of me. I ducked down. One of them scraped my arm. I was tempted to shot them down but I knew better. _I'm alone. I can't afford to get cursed._ I shot lightning and took down another tree, flattening another batch of arai, but more had appeared from different sides. As the arai above swooped in, I willed the wind to form a protective dome around me. The arai clawed at my wind dome, only to find their talons shredded. They surrounded me like a flock of vultures, circling, only the dome of wind as a barrier between us.

Their disembodied voices sneered. _"Protect yourself as you can,_ _little_ _demigod, but your little protection won't last forever."_

I could feel my energy being constantly drained. _They're right. I can't keep this wind dome forever._ I looked around. _There's no way out._ _Even if I tried_ _to_ _fly._ My legs began to turn jelly. The wind around me began to thin.

The arai chuckled. _"Yes. A little more."_

I willed the wind to get stronger. _Don't falter._

 _"Fight no more. One way or another, you will no longer be protected."_

 _Shut up, you ugly hags._ I wanted to say but I was focused on keeping my dome of wind.

 _"The gods no longer_ _cared_ _for their lesser offsprings. Promises or not, for them, you're nothing but tools. Why fight for them? Why not fight against them?"_

 _Just shut up!_ I wanted to scream.

The arai bared their sharp teeth. _"Your effort is_ _futile_ _. Tartarus is far_ _stronger_ _than the gods. You cannot stop him. Better to give up than perish."_

At that moment, I collapsed. The arai closed in but never touched me. A flash of light filled my sight and everything went black.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 - Oh, Look! Another Drakon.**

* * *

I woke up at the smell of smoke and herbs and the bleating of sheep. I'm on a bed made of leather and wool. I'm in a hut made of bones, mud, and somewhat familiar scaly animal skin. Herbs and cured leather hung on freestanding racks. At the back was a pen full of sheep. In the center, a bonfire made of pitch and bone crackled in life. Hanging above it was a pot suspiciously made of some old monster's skull. A slim figure was stirring a ladle on the pot.

 _"You recover pretty quick for a_ _half-blood_ _."_ The figure said. I recognized the wavy blood red hair and three ring silver earrings on each ear. _"I expected you_ _to_ _wake up later than that."_

 _"Atè."_ I said.

She turned to me. She looked younger than I remembered. Almost at my age. Her black eyes glinted like fiery charcoal against the light of the bonfire. _"I thought you had forgotten about me, daughter of Hera."_

 _"I have a name, you_ _know_ _."_ I said as I sat up. I pushed the blankets and threw my feet at the side of the bed, letting them settle on a grey wool rug.

 _"Is that so?"_ Até continued stirring. _"I didn't_ _know_ _until now."_

I stared at her. _"You're lying."_

 _"You flatter me."_

 _"Where are we?"_

 _"In a giant's house. The name's Damasen._ _I_ _supposed he's the anti-Ares child of Gaea and Tartarus. He perished on the hands of his own father together with the Titan Iapetus months ago for helping a couple of demigods in their quest."_

 _"Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. The Doors of Death."_ I muttered.

 _"I don't care about the details. Seeing demigods perish because of their foolishness is a whole lot better than that."_

 _"You're such a caring goddess."_ I said sarcastically.

 _"Thank you very much, little_ _demigod_ _."_

 _"My_ _name's_ _Christine, not little demigod."_ I stood up and looked over the pot. My stomach growled at the sight of food. _"How did we get here by the way?"_

 _"_ _Found_ _you almost dead on the claws of the arai."_ She said as she walked the racks and picked some spices. _"I drove them away and_ _brought_ you here. _Had to kill that stupid drakon outside or else, we're dead meat. Oh, sorry. Just you. I'm an immortal goddess."_ She dropped them to the stew and stirred. _"The drakon will be back in a few hours. We must leave as_ _soon_ _as possible. I like an occasional fight but definitely not in Tartarus."_ She poured some on a bowl and offered it to me. _"Drakon-meat stew?"_

I ate in silence as Até looked outside, watching out for the drakon. I finished eating before speaking. _"You shouldn't be here."_

Atè turned at me.

 _"We had a deal, remember?"_

 _"Yeah. Yeah. I_ _do_ _that and_ _whatnot_ _._ _But what good would it be if you're dead?"_

 _"Good point."_

She shrugged. _"Whatever. But that would_ _not_ _longer be possible since Tartarus_ _already_ _knew I'm helping you. But don't worry, princess. I got what you need."_

 _"First, little demigod. Now, princess? Really? When will call me by my name?"_ I asked in an annoyed voice.

She raised an eyebrow. _"If that's your real name."_

I stared at her. _"What do you mean?"_

She waved that aside. _"Not now. Tartarus might be_ _listening_ _to us."_ Her eyes glittered. _"That's why_ _I_ _didn't specify every word_ _I_ _said, right?"_

I smiled. _"That's a goddess of mischief and folly for you."_

Atè pressed her chest in a mock gesture. _"Awww! That really touched my mischievous heart."_

I rolled my eyes. _"Yeah. Yeah. Whatever. I will just change, then we'll keep going."_

 _"Be quick,_ _then_ _. The drakon will be here in half_ _an_ _hour."_

I nodded and went to the outhouse. I changed in a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and faded jeans sent by my friends above. Over it, I threw a black hooded parka given to me by Até which magically adjusts the temperature for the wearer and black combat boots. When I returned to the hut, Até had already stuffed extra rations of food and water and other stuff in a satchel. I picked up a smooth dagger strapped at my sword belt.

 _"Made_ _from_ _a tooth of the drakon. Quite sharp,_ _I_ _might_ _say."_

I raised my eyebrow. _"Really?"_

 _"Don't tell me you're thinking of surviving this damn place with a_ _long range_ _weapon_ _alone_ _?"_

 _"Right."_ I said and strapped back the dagger. I looked around the hut, remembering something. _"Hey, do we have drakon jerky here?"_

Atè stared at me with confusion. _"Yeah, why?"_

 _"Someone requested me to bring them some back home. Scratch that. I need plenty. I will be feeding a couple of hungry wolves."_

 _"I'll get_ _it_ _."_ Atè stood up and grabbed the satchel. As I waited, I picked up the silver arrow sent by Apollo which I guessed belonged to Artemis. I ran a finger on the inscription carved on the arrow. _I am the faint light that cuts through the bonds of the dark past._ I picked up the sender card and flipped it over, giving me a good look of the haiku.

 _A little advice,_  
 _Kill them before they kill you,_  
 _Admit it,_ _I'm_ _hot._

I fought the urge to gag when I heard a loud roar. I looked at Atè who do not seemed to be bothered by the noise.

 _"Don't go outside if you don't want to be shredded into pieces."_ Atè said as she stuffed the satchel with drakon jerky.

Typical me. I did the opposite. I picked up my bow and nocked an arrow. I peeked outside. I could feel Atè watching me from behind. At a distance, a monster I know too well appeared. It roared. The sound reverberated in the swamp. I watched as it whipped the trees with its tail and spat poison. It looked quite angry. Yet, I felt that it won't hurt me. I lowered my bow and walked outside.

 _"What in Hades are_ _you_ _doing?! Do you want to die?!"_

I ignored Atè and approached the drakon. My body moved on its own. I stopped in front of the drakon. It bared its sharp teeth. Venom dripped down from its mouth. A low growl coming from its throat. Its frills unfurled. Part of me screamed _What the hell are you doing?! Run, idiot, run!_ Another said _It won't hurt you. It's your ally._ I decided to follow the latter.

I reached out a hand. _"You're not going to hurt me, aren't you?"_

Behind me, I could hear the heavy boots of Atè and her, shouting _Get back here, you little demigod!_ I ignored her.

The drakon growled, its reptilian eyes narrowed. Its stance seemed to be prepared to attack. The former part of me screamed _Stupid! It's going to strike! Get out of there!_ I held my ground. Instead of attacking, it closed its maw and lowered its head. Its head snuggled against my palm. I held its head with both of my hands and rubbed the underside of its head. The drakon closed its eyes in pleasure.

* * *

~Atè's POV~

* * *

I watched as the daughter of Hera deal with the drakon. _My hunch is right. She's not just an_ _ordinary_ _half-blood. No, she's not really a half-blood. She's more than that._ I looked at the bloodred sky. _What are the Fates playing at this_ _time_ _?_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 - I Hate Immortal Killer Stalkers**

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

 _"I'm right about you not hurting me."_ I said as we rode the drakon's back. The drakon had offered to carry us wherever we want. Atè didn't seemed bothered by it all and agreed. Soon, we're trudging in a place thick of mist.

 _Why would I hurt you, Milady?_ The drakon asked in a puzzled tone.

 _"Seemed like it a while back."_ I answered.

 _Forgive me, Milady but_ _I'm just playing around._ It said. _The giant hadn't_ _been around for a while._

 _"The giant? You mean Damasen?"_

 _Yes. The anti-Ares spawn of the_ _earth_ _and the_ _Pit_ _._

 _"Atè said that,"_ I gestured to the goddess. _"Damasen_ _perished on the hands of Tartarus because he helped my friends with their quest and out of Tartarus."_

 _Indeed._ The drakon said as its tail whipped at a reforming monster nearby, bursting the bubble and killing the monster. I flinched. _Kill them while they're still reforming or they will kill you._ I need to remember that always.

 _"He's not the only one."_ Atè said. _"Just like_ _what_ _I_ _told you, the_ _Titan_ _Iapetus was with him when he perished."_ She flicked her wrist and another reforming monster got destroyed. _"We should be careful. Tartarus is way more ruthless than his wife, Gaea. He wouldn't think twice_ _about_ _destroying us."_

 _Possibly. But not me. He wanted me alive. Alive to destroy the gods._ I sighed in exhaustion. I nocked an arrow and shot above without much than a glance, disintegrating a lone monster flying above. Silence took over except for an occasional roar. The gloom had gone quite thick to the point I could barely see the drakon's outline. I let my thoughts wander for a moment, eyeing the gloom suspiciously. I remembered the dream I had back then, about the mysterious winged man with a snake entwined around him. Nothing from what I learned from Camp Half-Blood seemed to be related to him. But frankly, I seemed to know him. Somewhere. Somehow. I got a strange feeling he has connection to the strange memories induced by Tartarus. _I need to find him. I have to find him._

 _"Say,"_ I said, breaking the silence. _"About the information you got..."_

In the dark, Atè's godly aura shone. She looked like some lantern against the thick fog. _"Told you it's not a good idea to talk about it here."_

 _"I know, we're in the enemy's territory- or body- whatever you like. Though saying body gives me the creeps."_ I said.

She waved her hand. _"We could_ _talk_ _about_ _it_ _. I could keep Tartarus- if he's_ _listening_ _\- at bay for only a few minutes. That's all_ _I_ _could spare. I'm not an Olympian for Chaos' sake."_ She looked at me. _"Where do you_ _want_ _to start?"_

I gestured at her. " _Your choice."_

 _"Well, let's start with your little camp, shall we? Within_ _seven_ _days_ _time_ _, a huge horde of monsters will surround the remaining camp and attack_ _it_ _. And_ _I_ _don't simply mean just a simple attack. It will be from all sides. Be it land,_ _water_ _, or sky. The interesting part?"_ Her eyes glittered. A dark smile curved on her lips. " _It's simply for provocation. Tartarus wants to provoke the_ _Olympian_ _gods by_ _committing_ _mass murder of their mortal_ _children_. _After that, he will personally destroy them, including us not-so-important gods, and everything we did in history. In other words, erase our legacy in this world."_

I cursed, gripping the bow tightly. _Just to provoke to the Olympians?!_ I gritted my teeth.

Atè sighed. _"I will be honest with you,_ _half-blood_ _. I don't_ _think_ _we have even a bit of a chance to win against Tartarus._ _Monsters_ _are not_ _only_ _his allies. Well, not all of them though."_ She patted the drakon's scales. _"Every_ _being_ _who has a grudge against the gods will be on his side. Titans, Giants, souls of the damned, maybe_ _some_ _stupid gods who were banished and didn't care whether they will be destroyed_ _too_ _, you name it. All of_ _them_ _were already bad news. But,"_ I flinched. Something that shouldn't be known to gods appeared in Atè's eyes. Fear. Suddenly, I felt cold. I waited for the worse. _"The_ _possibility_ _of having primordial gods_ _at_ _his side will be a lot more than even the Olympian gods could take."_

The pressure around us increased a hundredfold. I felt the air being sucked out of my lungs. Cold crawled up my spine. My head swam. The gloom seemed to be thicker than I remembered. Atè's radiant aura seemed far away. Primordial gods? _No...no...that...that can't be..._ _why...why this...?_ I tried to speak but no voice came out. Then, it struck me. _Could it be... ?_

I opened my backpack and rummaged inside. _"I don't think so. I don't think Tartarus will win this war."_

 _"What are you...?"_

I pulled the paper containing the prophecy and showed it to Atè. _"This is the Great Prophecy sent to me by Apollo."_

Atè took it and read. She gasped and looked at me. Her expression contorted in a mixture of disbelief and fear. _"This-"_

I waved my hand. _"React later. Ignore the first three lines. Look at the fourth."_ I pointed at the fourth line of the prophecy. _"The earth's half whose fate shared...what do you_ _think_ _it means?"_

Atè looked at paper. A glint of realization passed through her eyes.

I nodded. _"The earth's half or Gaea's spouse. If my interpretation is correct, Tartarus will share the same fate as Gaea. The fate she had last war. Her defeat. Which means, the chances_ _of_ _winning_ _this war are on our side!"_

 _"But if you're indeed correct,"_ Atè's eyes bore down on me with such intensity. _"The_ _second_ _and_ _third lines_ _must_ _be accomplished before the fourth."_ She pointed down. _"Looking at it, both lines don't look good news and there's only_ _three weeks before Tartarus destroy us."_

I took the paper and went through it. _"You're right. But nothing about the two makes sense to me."_

 _"The second line may refer to some kind of resurrection. Maybe_ _the_ _dead. Or you could say the rise of an enemy_ _who_ _was once defeated."_

I shivered at the thought. _"If it's the latter, then there will be a lot."_ I remembered stories in camp. I felt bad especially to Percy. He have an awful lot of enemies. I set aside the thought for the moment. I pointed at the third. " _The_ _third. Feel free to tell me if I'm wrong but the darkness here do not actually mean evil or wickedness."_

Atè nodded. _"Possibly. If so, then it maybe referring to the physical dark, not the_ _abstract_ _idea of dark."_

 _"Then, it is night?"_

 _"Night. With the capital N. The protogenoi of the night, Nyx."_ I've heard about the encounter of two of my friends with the primordial goddess. Anyone would not fancy meeting the goddess.

 _"She got a mansion here, right?"_

 _"Yes. Just_ _pass_ _the meadows of Akhlys which by the way, we're passing by now."_

I stared at the fog. _"I hope we're not going to meet her."_

Atè frowned. _"Actually,_ _I_ _was hoping to. She and_ _I_ _were good friends actually. We_ _both_ _love seeing people in agony."_

 _"Thanks. That made me feel better."_ I grumbled. I looked at the paper and pondered on the word _chained_ _._ Something tugged at the back of my mind but can't clearly place it. I looked at the white light flickering in the midst of the thick fog.

Suddenly, the air shifted. My skin tingled. A familiar presence. I nocked an arrow and pointed it to the gloom ahead. I ordered the drakon to stop.

Atè shifted in alert. _"What is it?"_

 _"He's here."_ I answered. I hastily put the paper in my pocket.

 _"What?"_

 _"He's here. Tartarus is here. His_ _physical_ _body. Can't you feel it?"_ I asked.

 _"No."_

I looked around. _Damn it! Where is he?_ I patted the drakon. _"Get us away from here. QUICK!"_ The drakon obliged and dashed. _"Keep an eye at the sides! He could be anywhere!"_ I ordered to Atè. I kept my eyes trained behind. _For_ _Olympus_ _sake! Stop playing with us! Show yourself, you demon!_ I gritted my teeth. _We can't escape Tartarus._ I glanced at Atè. _If at least I could warn them..._ Without much thought, I jumped off the drakon, rolling off the dusty ground. Atè shouted in alarm and the drakon stopped abruptly. I could barely make their outlines in the thick fog.

 _"Go!"_ I shouted. _"I'll distract Tartarus! Warn everyone above!"_

 _"I won't do that! He'll kill you!"_

 _"He won't! Trust me!"_ I imagined her biting her lip, trying to decide. A moment of hesitation. Soon, I heard a rhythmic sound of heavy feet going farther and farther until it faded away. I positioned my bow, waiting in the gloom.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 - Here Comes Death Boy!**

* * *

~Hazel Levesque's POV~

* * *

I watched as Percy and Jason parried in the arena, together with other sparring pairs. Ever since Tartarus' attack in Camp Jupiter, the campers were bent down to training especially us Romans. Especially Reyna. As a praetor, she must have felt responsible for the wreckage of the camp just like Frank, even though Tartarus' appearance was a surprise. Piper sat down beside me after a practice with Annabeth. I handed her a bottle of water. Annabeth walked up to us.

 _"Another unusually busy day, huh?"_ I said.

 _"Yeah."_ Piper nodded. _"_ _With another protogenoi as_ _an_ _enemy, guessed we learned a thing or two."_

 _"_ _We can't go to war at the very least unprepared."_ Annabeth said. " _We have seventeen days left before Tartarus destroyed the gods._ _Eighteen_ _days_ _to_ _figure_ _out_ _how to defeat him and get Christine out of Tartarus."_

 _"Isn't the same as Ouranos and Gaea?"_ I asked.

Annabeth nodded. _"The only way to defeat Tartarus is to take him away from his element and_ _destroy_ _his physical body."_

 _"But after what happened to Gaea, Tartarus would be at least careful not to be in the open."_ I said.

 _"It would be a whole lot more complicated this time. Not to mention the possibility that Gaea will support him."_ Piper agreed.

We all quietly stared at the other sparring campers. Percy had almost overcame Jason who managed to block Percy's incoming attack. Above us, pegasi and giant eagles soared above, carrying some Apollo kids who were practicing archery. Seeing all these makes me dread over the possible things Tartarus can do if he succeeds.

 _"Speaking of Tartarus,"_ I said. _"Nico talked to me a while back. He said he thought of a possible way to rescue Christine."_

 _"Really?"_ Annabeth asked.

 _"Yeah."_ I nodded. _"Something about having Thanatos open one side of the Doors of Death down in Tartarus."_

 _"Wouldn't that be too risky?"_ Piper asked. _"It's like setting foot at your enemy's doorstep."_

 _"Piper's right."_ Annabeth said. _"We don't want another quest to unchain the_ _Doors_ _of Death. Plus, we already have a faster rate of_ _monsters_ _reformation this time around. We don't need to_ _make_ _it faster than that."_

 _"You're right. But it's only an idea. The only idea we have. If Christine plans to escape through the doors to the Underworld or the mortal world, the chances will be pretty much zero. Tartarus will have them heavily guarded."_

Annabeth's look seemed far away. A familiar look. She's thinking...calculating. Typical Athena kid expression. _"Do Nico knew where Thanatos is?"_

I shrugged. _"I haven't asked him about that yet."_

 _"If you can, ask him. I'll try suggesting his idea_ _to_ _Chiron."_

 _"So, that means, we should try it?"_ Piper asked. A glint of understanding in her eyes.

 _"Well,"_ Annabeth smiled. _"That will be better than zero chance, isn't?"_

* * *

~Trisha Ledger's POV~

* * *

I dodged in time as the giant scorpion struck its stinger on the ground. An arrow flew and struck the scorpion's segmented back. I stood back and swiped at the monster's claws. Vines sprouted from the ground and wrapped around the monster. A few campers surged forward for the kill. Everyone gathered around as the monster disintegrated into golden dust.

I felt a pat on the back. _"Good job. Just be alert next time."_ Clarisse said and went forward. _"Get going everyone! There are still some roaming around! We can't afford having the camp attacked!"_ With that, she led the group at front.

A Roman demigod jogged up beside me. _"Must_ _be_ _hard having an Ares kid for a best friend."_

I shrugged. _"I think having the_ _goddess_ _of victory as a mom is harder."_

Darren laughed. _"Yeah. Pretty much."_

Darren Hayes was a Roman demigod and a son of Victoria. He was from the First Cohort, being in service for three years now. Most of the time, he's a happy-go-lucky person and always keeps his cool but when it comes to competitions, he's not the kind of person that will back down. A typical trait among the children of the goddess of victory.

 _"So, how are things going with you? You know, that."_ He gestured which I immediately understood.

 _"The news_ _out_ _for four days now, Ren."_ I said, jumping over a fallen log. _"My friend's alive. I'm happy and scared at the same_ _time_ _."_

 _"Scared for her?"_

I nodded. _"Meeting the primordial god_ _was_ _near-death. Being in his actual domain,"_ A chill ran up my spine. _"_ _I-I don't think_ _I_ _can remain sane if_ _I_ _ever lived through it."_

 _"But Christine's down there."_ He said. _"And she's still alive and sane. There were also two from your camp that got through Tartarus alright."_

I shifted my grip on my sword. _"Christine's strong. She's the one that ventured to the Underworld and fought_ _Tartarus_ _all by_ _herself_ _. Me?"_ I stared down at my shoes. _"I did_ _nothing_ _but to be a coward."_

Darren gently bumped me on the shoulder. _"Hey, don't be too down. It's only natural. Everything came to you in a shock. Just keep strong for your friend down there, yeah?"_

I punched him on the arm. _"Yeah, and stop_ _bumping_ _me like an overfriendly cat."_

 _"Owww. Are you really a daughter of Venus? You punch too hard for a super model."_ He complained as he rubbed his arm.

I laughed. _"Shut up, Mr. Victory. It's Aphrodite, not Venus. Plus, not all Aphrodite kids are in for glamor and we can be competitive in our own way."_

 _"Mr. Victory? That's a terrible name! It's too obvious. Try something else."_

I raised my eyebrow. A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. _"I will. Wait for it."_ The quality of air shifted near me. I stopped abruptly and stared at the shadow of a nearby tree. Darren noticed and stopped walking. He looked at the rippling shadow and then, to me.

 _"You go ahead."_ I said. _"I will just catch up."_

He reluctantly nodded and went off. I waited. From the shadow, a boy a few years younger than me appeared.

 _"Nico."_

He blinked at the bright afternoon light and looked at me with unfocused eyes. _"Sorry. Did_ _I_ _interrupt something important?"_

 _"Yeah. Sort of. We're hunting down some giant scorpions. Got any news?"_

He plopped down under the shade of the tree. _"Take your pick which goes first."_ He said.

 _"Bad news."_ I decided.

 _"You're a bit of a masochist, you know."_

 _"I'm not! I just thought having_ _I_ _will feel a bit better with_ _having_ _the bad news first than last._ _Anyway, where_ _did_ _you go?"_

Nico rubbed her eyes. _"_ _The_ _Underworld_ , _and that's where the bad news is."_

 _"Go on."_

 _"I went down to_ _the_ _Underworld to check its_ _situation_ _in behalf of my father. It's worse than the last. Souls mixed up_ _and_ _free._ _Some_ _had returned aboveground. Monsters roaming around. You get_ _the_ _idea. But my_ _main_ _purpose was to check the door connecting the Underworld to Tartarus. I can only tell you there's no escaping there._ _Nor the door connecting to the mortal world."_

I tilted my head in confusion. _"I get it but what were those for?"_

Nico scratched his head. _"That's why it's better to have the good news first."_

I gave him an innocent sighed.

 _"A few hours ago, Chiron called me for a meeting. Apparently, Hazel told Annabeth about my idea about a possible escape plan for_ _Christine_ _. My idea was to use the Doors of Death to help Christine escape Tartarus since it is highly possible that_ _Tartarus_ _had the two doors connecting Tartarus to the upper world guarded. Annabeth suggested it to_ _Chiron_. _I was told to check the two doors first before finding Thanatos."_ He shook his head in distaste. _"The doors were worse than the Underworld. It seemed_ _Tartarus_ _made them_ _like_ _monstrous_ _versions of busy train stations."_

I felt a spark of hope. I ignored the bad news. I mentally scolded myself for being too hopeful. _It is still soon._ I tapped the pommel of my sword. _"So, did you find Thanatos?"_ I asked curiously.

He shook his head. _"No luck. I intended to pay my father a visit in Olympus today to see how was he_ _doing_ _and ask about Thanatos' location."_ He stood up and stretched. _"If Father knows where is he, well, let's hope Thanatos will agree with my plan. The Doors of Death was_ _once_ _chained_ _down_ _in_ _Tartarus_ _by Gaea. I don't think he will easily take a risk that may result to the same_ _situation_ _."_

I shifted. _"_ _Will it alright if_ _I_ _c_ _ome_ _with_ _you?"_

He stared at me, wide-eyed. _"You're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding because_ _I_ _don't want Clarisse trailing me like some spy."_

I crossed my arms. _"Do_ _I_ _looked like_ _I'm_ _kidding?"_ I huffed.

 _"Guess not."_

 _"So, can_ _I_ _come with you?"_

 _"No, sorry."_ He said sternly. _"I don't want to risk you having zapped by any god if_ _ever_ _they got mad. I've_ _promised_ _Christine to look after you. I_ _intended to_ _keep that."_

I raised my palms. _"That's all you have to say."_ I said. _"Just keep me updated_ _at_ _least_ _, alright?"_

He nodded and slunk back in the shadows. I turned and followed the group's trail.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 - I Was A God?! As In A Male One?!**

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

 _It was eerily silent._

All around me, the gloom had thickened and drown out any color or shape beyond it. I could barely see with the glow of my Celestial Bronze bow nor the flickering light yet I could feel his presence strongly. I turned around, my metal-heeled combat boots clicking. My heart rammed in my chest. I held the arrow firm to keep it from slipping out of my sweaty hand. Seconds ticked by...two...five...seven...I turned one hundred eighty degrees and released the arrow. It disappeared in the fog. I waited.

An all too familiar chuckle. I nocked another arrow. _"You keep getting better, Christine Galliardo."_ From the fog, a figure took form. His body was wispy yet I could clearly make out his sharp talons and his whirlpool face. On one hand, he held the arrow I just fired. I pointed the arrow at him despite knowing it will just go through his foggy figure. He spoke in a quite amused tone. _"You, a lowly half-god, felt the_ _tiniest_ _of my presence when a minor goddess like the one you helped escape didn't."_ He laughed. _"Wonderful! Just wonderful! Everything is going_ _as_ _I_ _planned_ _. Soon,_ _I_ _will have my revenge!"_

I narrowed my eyes. _"Is that what you came for? To_ _check_ _personally on me? How thoughtful of you."_

He spread his arms. _"Yes. Of course._ _Why_ _not? I care for you, Christine. More than those filthy gods."_

 _"I don't need your care. I'm just a tool. A_ _weapon_ _against the gods."_ I spat.

 _"You already speak highly, my dear Christine._ _But_ _you're correct. You're indeed a weapon against the gods. An untamable and destructive weapon."_

I thought for a moment. _I need_ _information_ _. I need_ _to_ _know everything there is to know._ I know it's risky but I lowered my bow. _"Tell me about it."_

 _"Oh? We're going to have a friendly talk? That's a first."_ He chuckled. _"If_ _I_ _remember correctly, you despise me. Are you finally rethinking things?"_

 _"No."_ I said seriously. _"I still despise you._ _That_ _will never change. I just want to know what_ _I_ _have that will help you in your revenge."_

He moved closer. His form swirled and shifted. _"Ah, yes. Of_ _course_ _. The truth was hidden to you for sixteen long years. Your mother and the Fates had collaborated and kept the truth. They erased your memories, took what's yours,_ _and_ _kept that hidden from you and everyone else. But_ _I_ _know all about it. Even before you were born. They're foolish for_ _thinking_ _they could keep it hidden from beings superior than them."_

I recoiled. My mind swam. Confusion and surprise took over. The humming in my head returned but seemed distant. _"What do you mean?"_

Tartarus circled me, apparently, looking amused at my confusion. _"_ _Come_ _and I will tell you. I will show you how the parents you know_ _ruined_ _your future."_ He reached out and pressed the tip of his fingernail on my forehead. I gasped.

 _Complete_ _darkness flooded my vision. Soon,_ _a soupy mist materialized. From the particles of_ _Chaos_ _, Gaea was born, then,_ _Ouranos_ _. It was the same as the dream_ _I_ _had. Chronos appeared and from his arms, he produced a silver egg. This time, he didn't give it to me._ _Instead_ _, he showed it to the Earth_ _and_ _the Sky. He spoke up._

 _"Behold! I present to you your king!"_

 _The egg glowed and hatched. The winged man_ _entwined_ _with a snake appeared. He raised his staff and spoke in a beautiful chorus of voices._

 _"I am Phanes." He announced. "The first-born. The first king of cosmos. I bring life and light to the universe. Through me, generations of great beings will be born and thrived for eternity."_

 _Bright light bursted out from his staff and engulfed me. The vision shifted._

 _I was standing in a_ _forest clearing. In front of me was a sparkling blue lake. At the other side, a magnificent throne was erected at the base of a big oak tree. Sitting on the throne was the winged man. The serpent was coiled around him and the throne. All around him, animals milled around, playing, and napping. Nymphs gathered around, offering_ _their_ _respect to the god. The god radiated warmth and goodness. Lush grass_ _and_ _flowers bloomed around his feet. Life flourished wherever he went._

 _Suddenly, the sky darkened. Gray stormy clouds covered the_ _sky_ _. Lightning_ _streaked_ _above and_ _thunder_ _roared. Rain poured heavily and wind lashed furiously._ _The nymphs ushered the animals away, finding them_ _shelter_ _from the storm. The protogenoi_ _looked_ _up, calm and patient. The sky parted and a chariot pulled_ _by the four wind gods emerged. Riding the chariot was the current king of the cosmos, Zeus. The chariot landed in front of the throne. Zeus went out and confronted the primordial god._

 _He bowed."First king, Phanes. A pleasant day to you. I hope I didn't interrupted your rest."_

 _The winged god stood up, acknowledging the god. "Zeus, my fourth successor. What brought you here? As far as I'm concerned, I hardly have any visitors these days. You didn't even told me beforehand that you will pay a visit."_

 _"Forgive me, Almighty King. I'm afraid the years keep becoming increasingly busy as time passed by."_

 _"Indeed." He nodded. "Mortals these days had become quite demanding. Yet most of them forget to give thanks for everything we granted upon them. Setting that aside," He patted the serpent's head. "Tell me what brought you here."_

 _Zeus eyed the snake. "An offer, Your Majesty."_

 _"An offer?"_

 _"Yes. A rest from work. I would gladly offer to take your burden as the giver of life to all of cosmos."_

 _The serpent flicked its tongue. It turned its green reptilian eyes to Zeus. "Very thoughtful of you, Zeus. But, that burden will be too much for you. Besides, I believed I already bestowed upon you the power to provide life. There's no need to take such heavy responsibility on your shoulders."_

 _"I see."_

 _"My successor," The god spoke gently. "I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness. Perhaps, we can have another talk the next time you visit."_

 _Zeus bowed apologetically. "Again, please forgive me for my sudden intrusion and yes, I would gladly to have another conversation the next time I visit."_

 _The protogenoi nodded in satisfaction. "Well then, be on your way. I see that your wife is looking for you." He turned and walked back to his throne._

 _Behind him, Zeus' expression darkened. A dark smile curved in his lips. "On second thought, Milord, there will be no next time." Zeus grew up into a Titan version of himself. "I will devour you and assume absolute power over all life." He opened his mouth and produced a huge tornado._

 _The protogenoi stopped and turned. He met my gaze. His voice echoed in my head._

 _"Evil shall be your harbringer. The judgement is yours to make, my heiress."_

 _The tornado swallowed him and vacuumed him before Zeus snapped his mouth shut._

 _The scene shifted. This time I was in a throne room. Thrones whose appearances were similar to the cabin designs in Camp Half-Blood, encircled a hearth in the middle of the room. My mother was holding me in her arms, her face clearer than the past visions. She kissed me on the forehead and spoke, showing me the thrones._

 _"My dearest daughter, do you see these thrones? Someday, you will have one right beside your father's. I know that you will become a very powerful Olympian, much powerful than your brothers and sisters. Who knows? You might become more powerful than your uncles or even your father." She held my tiny hands and whispered softly. "You will become very powerful. But never forget your family and your responsibilities, alright?" She sang me to sleep._

 _The_ _vision shifted again. I was floating above a_ _dark chamber. Below me were three hooded figures hunched together and my_ _mother_ _._ _Floating above the gnarled hands of the three_ _figures_ _was a ball of golden haze._

 _"Your child, Ariacalyssa," One of the figure was saying. "is a dangerous threat to her own father, Zeus. She possessed power, a power no being has ever witness. Power that could defeat the ancients beings, the Primordials. Power that could overthrow her own father in less than a blink. Power that could bring down the proudest beings on their knees."_

 _My mom argued but the_ _Fates_ _shook their heads and explained._

 _Mom_ _shook her head in disbelief. "You're telling me my daughter will grew up just to overthrow her own father?! To go against her own family?! NO! I don't believe you! That can't be!"_

" _No, indeed. The destiny of immortals cannot be fully defined. It is endless and sometimes a cycle that repeats itself once again in a certain time. Indeed, it is NOT her destiny to overthrow her own father. But she can be used as a tool. A tool against him. She's still young and innocent. Vulnerable to evil. She must be protected until she is ready to protect herself. She must be isolated from all immortality."_

 _My_ _mom_ _gasped. Her anger started to build up again."What?! No! I will not agree to this! My own daughter? Away from me? This is worse than Zeus having two children from that mortal woman! No! I won't let this! NEVER!" Her aura threatening to dissolve the Fates._

 _"You cannot protect her, Hera. Not even in a year. We have forseen that. You cannot change that no matter how hard you tried. But you can delay it. For the sake of your family. For the sake of your own daughter. There is only one way. A way that will make it possible for her to stand up against what is coming. If that comes, she'll be ready no matter what. This is her own battle not yours. But you can interfere as much as possible. If you don't do this, this will be the end. For now, the choice is yours. Time is threatening to pass."_

 _Hera looked down._ _She looked very worried._

 _"She will be brought to the safest place possible. Away from all immortality. In the mortal world."_ _The Fates said._

 _Mom gasped in horror. The Fates reassured her. She looked troubled but finally_ _resigned_ _to the Fates' plan._

 _The Fates nodded. "Very well then. But you must swear to the River Styx not to tell this to you husband."_

 _She furrowed her eyebrows. "Why not?"_

 _"We cannot tell you. But we can sense danger if Zeus will know about this."_

 _She sighed and swore to the River Styx._

 _The Fates nodded. "It is settled then. We will take your daughter when the first rays of the sun shone through the earth. You must return to the feast for you have gone too long. Until the next time, Queen Hera."_

The vision faded and I found myself on my knees. Tartarus loomed above me with an air of triumph.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 - Which Side Will I Be On?**

* * *

~Piper McLean's POV~

* * *

 _"CHRISTINE! NO!"_

I jerked awake at someone's scream. I instinctively reached for my sword. I looked around in alarm. I sighed in relief. _No monster attack._ Everyone woke in a daze. In the light of the moon, I saw Trisha sobbing. I stood up and walked over. Someone turned the light on.

I placed a hand on her shoulder. _"Hey. Are you alright? Did you have a bad dream?"_ I asked worriedly.

Trisha shook her head furiously. She was shaking badly. I gestured at Drew. _"Get her water."_ I said. Drew reluctantly followed and handed me a bottle. I opened and offered it to Trisha who received it with trembling hands. I rubbed my hand on her back, mumbling soothing words to calm her. I told the others that I will handle Trisha myself. The night light was turned on and the others hesitantly returned to sleep.

I plopped down on Trisha's bed. She was pale and sweating. She finally calmed down but her hands were still shaking. I placed a hand on her arm. _"Are you feeling fine now?"_ I asked, my voice was barely a whisper.

She nodded. _"Yes. Thank you."_

 _"Tell me about it. You will feel better that way. I will listen."_

She bit her lip. _"I-It's about Christine."_ She stammered. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes. _"I dreamed that she joined Tartarus' forces. I saw her standing on the crest of Half-Blood hill, watching Tartarus destroy the camp. I-It was terrible!"_ She sobbed. _"You should have seen her expression! She's not the_ _Christine_ _I know!"_

 _"It's alright."_ I murmured. _"It's just a_ _dream_ _. A very bad dream."_ I tried to use my charmspeak. Despite the words that came out of my mouth, I was very worried. I got a throbbing feeling it wasn't just a bad dream. _It was a bad omen._ _Something_ _bad is happening down there._ Nico said that Christine have something that will secure the success of Tartarus' revenge. Weeks now and we still have no idea what is it. Now, this. I cannot shake the feeling that Trisha's nightmare have something to do with it. That in this very hour, this very moment, the odds were being weighed on both sides. Trisha had finally calmed down and decided to go back to sleep when a horn sounded. Everyone stumbled awake.

 _We're under attack._

* * *

~Hera's POV~

* * *

I clutched my heart. The pain had suddenly struck me. I desperately held on a broken marble column, gazing at the stars above.

 _My daughter...please...forgive us..._

* * *

~Artemis' POV~

* * *

I watched as the clouds covered the moon, casting a shadow over us.

 _This_ _feeling_ _..._

I turned to my brother.

His face was expressionless, staring at the shifting shadows. His eyes had glazed over. _"It has finally begun...the final verdict has finally been decided..."_

* * *

~Zeus' POV~

* * *

 _"Father! Are_ _you_ _alright?"_

 _"Brother?"_

 _"What happened, Zeus?"_

I leaned heavily against my throne as the other Olympians hurried to my side. Hades and Hermes helped me up to my throne. I sat down. My body suddenly drained of all power. I clutched my aching head. I heaved, seemingly losing the air in my lungs. The other Olympians gathered around, looking concerned.

 _What is this sense of_ _foreboding_ _?_

* * *

~Hermes' POV~

* * *

I watched in concern as Father clutched his head. Pain and worry were written all over his face.

 _So, it has finally started, Apollo..._

I looked around at the thrones erected on this room.

 _In your hands, Ariacalyssa, we will be destroyed or preserved. May the_ _Fates_ _have mercy on us!_

* * *

~Atè's POV~

* * *

I looked out at dense fog covering the meadows of Akhlys. I ordered the drakon to get away and hide as soon as possible. I could feel the heavy pressure as darkness swirled behind me.

 _I've done my part._

 _It's now your turn._

 _Your decision will be the absolute future of_ _the_ _world,_ _Christine_ _Galliardo._

 _All of cosmos awaits._

* * *

 **Sorry for the past, boring chapters...and this short chapter too. So far, what do you think of the progress of the story? Was it good or nah? Any suggestions in mind? Just comment/put it up on review and I will hear you out. Thank you!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 - I Owe Night One For Kidnapping Me (At Least, For A Good Reason)**

* * *

 **For anyone who don't know Phanes, please search it. I took the god from the Orphic Cosmology, though I intended not to refer too much to the mythology. Some parts may be different because I'm adapting it with the world of PJO and HOO.**

* * *

~Nico di Angelo's POV~

* * *

 _The world is unusually silent tonight._

I felt a prick in my chest. Sudden yet very painful. Standing on a crest of a hill, I could see pretty well the sinkhole in New Rome. The sinkhole had become bigger in a matter of days. My conversation with my father came rushing to back to me. I arrived just as their meeting had ended. Hades had us teleported on the very crest of this hill. I resisted the urge to smack my dad for sending us here. _What in the world_ _is_ _he thinking?_

 _"The end is now upon us." Hades was saying. "Yet we, even us gods, cannot do anything to prevent it."_

 _"Even immortal beings cannot go against fate." I said._

 _"Indeed." He nodded. "We only hope that it will be at our side especially in times like this." He looked at me. "Now, tell me, my son, what brought you to visit me?"_

 _"It's about Christine. Do you remember her?"_

 _"Yes. The mortal daughter of Hera. As far as things go, I assumed she's in Tartarus. What about her?"_

 _I shifted. "I want to ask if you know where Thanatos is. I've got an idea on how to help her out of Tartarus."_

 _Hades looked at me like he already know what I'm thinking. "It's the Doors of Death, isn't?"_

 _"Yes." I nodded._

 _He looked out at the abandoned camp. "I have nothing against it after all, I owe her a huge debt. I'm very inclined to repay her properly. But my son," He placed a hand on my shoulder. "If Thanatos ever agreed to your plan, how would you let the child of Hera know if Tartarus himself is trying to trap her down there?"_

I stared at the abandoned camp which looked like a ghost city now (and that is, without the Lares since they too fled). I sighed. Sometimes, it's annoying to have people pointing out things that will brought you more worries despite being good points. Hades had summoned Thanatos just as he returned to Olympus. Thanatos was reluctant to agree but finally gave in. Now, all I need was to figure out how Christine will know about this. As I scrambled for any idea, a voice spoke up.

 _"I could relay the message to someone_ _I_ _know down in Tartarus."_ I jerked and grabbed my sword. I turned and saw a girl a few years older than me. She smiled mischievously. _"Funny,_ _I'm_ _afraid you can't_ _kill_ _a goddess like me."_

 _"Who are you?"_ I asked.

" _My name is Atè."_ She waved her hand. _"I'm afraid w_ _e don't have enough time for proper_ _introductions. All you have to know is_ _that_ _I'm_ _on your side. I have a message for you and your friends. It's from the_ _daughter_ _of Hera."_

 _"Christine?"_ I asked in disbelief.

 _"_ _Yes_ _."_ She nodded. _"But before that, will you please put down your toy? That's no way for a friendly talk."_

I stared at her. She doesn't look an enemy nor an ally. Even if she is an enemy, going against a goddess would be nearly impossible. But if she's really an ally and she have a message from Christine, then, I need to know. Hesitantly, I lowered my sword. _"Tell me about it."_

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

 _All_ _I_ _feel was emptiness._

When the vision ended, I found myself on my knees. My bow lay on the dusty ground like a useless dry branch. All of my energy was drained and emotions washed away. I stared at the ground in front of me in a daze. Everything was clouded. I feel numb and hollow. My mind slow, drowning all senses and thoughts.

 _Who am_ _I_ _?_

The identity I had for sixteen years slowly peeled off, layer by layer. _It was fake._ My name. My deeds. My family. My friends. The tears I shed. The laughter I shared. Everything I saw, I heard, I said, I felt, I did, I have, I believed in...

 _It was all a lie._

 _A damn huge lie they created._

 _Why?_

Tartarus loomed before me. His face swirled in anticipated triumph. _"Yes."_ He murmured. _"It was all a_ _lie_ _. A_ _lie_ _they created and forced you to_ _believe_ _in. But now,"_ He leaned down, leveling himself at me. _"The truth has finally been uncovered. You're now free from those despicable gods. Your destiny is all yours now to_ _mold_ _."_

He lifted my chin. Cold seeped down my skin. I met his gaze. _"This is what the gods truly are. They force people to do their bidding and after that, dispose them_ _like_ _trash._ _They will_ _bribe_ _, deceive, lie,_ _steal_ _, threaten,_ _anything_ _, just to get_ _what_ _they wanted. Just like what_ _they_ _did to you even though you were their flesh and blood. Why fight for_ _them_ _? Why not fight_ _against_ _them?"_

He spoke softly. _"Join me,_ _Christine_ _. Let's overthrow those deceitful and filthy gods. You might think_ _I_ _see you as a tool but unlike the gods,_ _I_ _truly care for_ _you_ _. I shall repay my debt. I will help you get back what is truly yours. You will become the ruler of cosmos_ _once_ _again. I don't need the throne. I just_ _want_ _to avenge my fallen_ _wife_ _. I believe you can make a better ruler. You can save your friends and your beloved camp. You will be their saviour. You and only you can free them from the gods'_ _oppressive_ _grip."_

He moved away. He bowed down and offered one wispy hand. _"My_ _future_ _queen, heiress of the will of the First King,_ _I_ _beg you to join this humble servant_ _of_ _yours. We shall establish a new age. An age so_ _prosperous_ _than any of the ages before. The true Golden Age."_

I stared at his foggy hand.

 _I was deceived by my own mother. My past was killed by the greed of my_ _father_ _. I am no daughter of them. My past_ _had_ _given them life. I can take it away freely and at will._

 _I am their judge. I found them guilty of their sins. They shall be judged accordingly. They_ _will_ _have no_ _way_ _out._

 _I shall carry out my verdict. Only justice will prevail._

I reached out but before I could touch Tartarus' hand, pure darkness engulfed me.

I woke up staring at the bloodred sky and wondering why my body felt so stiff. I groaned as I slowly sat up. I felt lightheaded as I tried to remember what happened. _Tartarus._ _The visions. The darkness engulfing me._ My body went limp as I remembered the visions. I forced it down as I looked around. The fog had dissipated and Tartarus was nowhere to be found. I was standing on a peninsula jutting above a pitch-black chasm. _Where am_ _I_ _?_ I peered over the edge. Down was nothing but pure darkness. _Could this be...Chaos?_ I stood upright. _How in Hades did_ _I_ _come here?_

 _"I believe_ ," A voice said above me. _"It was of my own doing that you are here."_

I looked up and jumped back in surprise. A churning feminine figure of ash and smoke with black wings towered above me. The goddess wore a void black dress mixed with the colors of a nebula. Her face was barely conceivable except for her eyes which were shining like quasars. On one hand, she held a whip of stars. On the other, the reins of her chariot pulled by two massive vampire horses.

One of the horses nickered. _Another lost_ _godling_ _! She looks delicious._

The other whinnied. _I'm pretty sure she's as feisty as the_ _past_ _two._

I was surprised, but not too surprised to be unable to glare at the horses. _"Come here, you little pony, and_ _I'll_ _show you how feisty_ _I_ _am."_ I said.

The horse stomped its hooves. _Excuse me?!_ _Little pony?! Do I look like some colorful fictional horses who have horns and wings and talking about friendship all day long?!_

 _"Now, now."_ The goddess chided. _"Show some respect to our special guest."_ She turned to me. _"_ _It's been quite a while since we last saw each other, Phanes. Or should I say, heiress of the First King, Ariacalyssa."_

I stepped back. _"Who are you?"_

The goddess sighed. _"It seemed Tartarus only showed you a bit of everything. You still have to fully recover your memory."_ She spread her arms. _"My name is Nyx, the protogenos of night. I am the one whom you had passed your scepter and ruled the cosmos as its second ruler before_ _I_ _passed it down to the Ouranos."_ She gestured. _"_ _I rode back_ _here_ _and took you away from Tartarus in response to your calling and Atè's request."_

I gave her a look of confusion. _"What do you_ _mean_ _by calling? I didn't call you in the first place."_

 _"Didn't you?"_ She asked. _"I felt your anguish._ _Not_ _just me but all living things. Phanes is the protogenos of life. You inherited his will, his power, and the very essence of his existence. You are now Life. Life existed in all living things. Whatever happened to Life, those blessed with it will felt it."_ She shook her head in distaste. _"Tartarus too had felt it yet he used it to his advantage. He used it to try tricking you to help carry out his revenge."_

I looked away. _"It was the truth. Everything he shown me was the_ _truth_ _."_ I gripped my bow tightly. _"I was lied to by the mother_ _I_ _know."_

 _"Does that matter?"_ Nyx asked.

 _"It does!"_ I exclaimed. _"They tainted the world for too long! They deserve to be_ _punished_ _accordingly!"_

 _"Then,_ _perhaps_ _,"_ She lowered her head. _"It was fault."_

I stared at her. _"_ _W-What_ _are you saying?"_

 _"I am the one who passed your royal scepter to a wrong being."_ She murmured. _"If only I was careful back then..."_ She looked up at me. The glow of her eyes lessened. _"Milady, think of things again. Do not make your final verdict yet."_ She sighed. _"_ _However if you truly wished to punish the gods for their_ _crimes_ _, punish me. It is_ _because_ _of my poor_ _decision_ _that everything had come to this. I beg you_ _to_ _have mercy on all creation."_

I was taken aback.

 _"Please, Milady, rethink of things. Please have time to decide again. My father and_ _I_ _are willing to provide you necessary_ _protection_ _against_ _Tartarus."_

I looked at the goddess. _This is the one whom_ _I_ _had given my trust. Perhaps,_ _I_ _should trust her again. I should weigh things once again. I was_ _overwhelmed_ _by my emotions back then._ _That is no way to_ _decide_ _._

I looked away. _"Have it your_ _way_ _."_ I said. The vampire horses whinnied in anticipation. _"Just leave me all alone. I need_ _time_ _to think by myself."_

Nyx bowed down. _"As you wish. I shall return to my duty for the moment's notice."_ With that, she flicked her whip and the horses reared back. The chariot moved up and disappeared above.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 - Thank Gods. I Wasn't Born As A Guy Before**

* * *

I sat down and stared at the pitch black void below. I could feel another presence nearby. _Chaos_. From the beginning of Time, Phanes was born. He provided life to every being. Despite that, he was devoured by one of his own creation and successor. He was reborn into Ariacalyssa. _For what purpose?_ The question jarred me. _What purpose did I existed for?_ I remembered the god in the vision when he looked at me before he was devoured.

 _"Evil shall be your harbringer. The judgement is yours to make, my heiress."_

The personification of evil, Tartarus. The one who will announce my arrival. _Why him of all beings?_ I could feel the presence of Chaos intensified, seemingly shrouding me from outside interference. The humming in my head was louder than before as if trying to say something but no voice spoke up. I could feel the tremors reverberating across the landscape. _Tartarus_ _is_ _furious_ _._ All around me, a protective dome had formed. The surroundings become liquefied and the sounds muted. The dome adjusted and slowly drown the tremors. _It was quiet._ I breathed and let my thoughts drift by. I closed my eyes and dug through my memories and the visions I saw trying to put one by one into a big jigsaw puzzle.

 _I was known as Phanes, the protogenos of life and goodness. I became the_ _first_ _king_ _of cosmos and passed_ _the_ _leadership to generations of great beings. I was devoured by Zeus to obtain_ _absolute_ _power and was reborn to Ariacalyssa,_ _daughter_ _of Zeus and Hera. I was isolated from immortality in hopes to protect me from certain evil. I have believed_ _I'm_ _a demigod child of Hera until now._

My skin tingled. I opened my eyes and jerked up in surprise. Standing before me was the protogenos of life himself. His ancient Greek robes swayed even without the wind. His eyes were blue with splashes of violet and gold with little lights like a nebula. Curly brown hairs stuck at the rim of his bronze helmet. His bronze wings unfurled. On his hand, the top of his staff glowed like the sun. He shone in an ethereal glow, brighter than Apollo. The serpent around him regarded me with its reptilian green eyes. The god's expression was of sadness and pain.

 _"Y-You're-"_

 _"Indeed."_ He spoke in a beautiful chorus of voices. _"I am Phanes. The_ _first_ _king of cosmos. Your predecessor."_

My voice quivered in disbelief. _"H-How? Why?"_

 _"My successor,_ _I'm_ _afraid_ _I_ _don't have much time to explain. I'm already fading. I already had you inherit the core of my very existence. The world no longer has any need for me."_ He spoke sadly.

My voice got caught up in my throat.

 _"I appeared to you for the very last time to ask for your forgiveness. It was because of me that you have_ _to_ _endure so much. The sin of the past is mine to judge but it was handed down to you. It was the worst mistake_ _I_ _ever made."_

I finally found my voice. _"_ _If_ _it's handed down to me, then, it is mine to judge. After all, we are_ _one_ _and the same."_

 _"Ariacalyssa,"_ He touched my cheek. A wave of comfort and warmth washed over me. A complete opposite of Tartarus. _"We are not one. I am never your past. You are not my reborn self. You are not an_ _assurance_ _of my legacy. I deemed you worthy and passed my will to you. It_ _is_ _not a responsibility but a privilege. Just like Helios to Apollo and Selene to Artemis."_

 _"No."_ I said. I shook my head. _"_ _Even if it isn't a responsibility, Zeus- my father-_ _had_ _committed_ _a_ _crime_ _against you! He_ _killed_ _you! Just for power! My mom...she...she..."_ I gripped my bow tightly. _"She lied to me."_

 _"Because it was for your own good."_ Phanes said. _"Ariacalyssa, my death was what meant to be. I willingly opened a gate for_ _your_ _existence and for the betterment of world's future."_

 _"_ _The_ _world's future..."_ I murmured. I remembered the plans me, Trisha, and Clarisse made for the summer vacation. The promise I made to Trisha that I will return back safe. My friends at camp and the memories we shared. The gods I talked to...Apollo, Artemis, Atè. The letter sent by the Stolls. My friends' efforts to get me out of here. My determination to get out of this cursed place and see them again. The sacrifice my mother made. The years spent by the Fates to raise me. My wish to see my mother and father and reunite with them.

 _What in Olympus had happened to me?_

 _How could_ _I_ _let Tartarus get_ _in_ _my head?_

 _So what if my life's messed up?_

 _That_ _does mean_ _I_ _should give up?_

His form flickered, becoming translucent. His features softened in concern. He gazed out into Chaos. A sense of nostalgia passed over his face. _"Ah, it seemed the time has come. My moments will finally end where they had begun. And yours to begin."_

I jumped back into reality. _"W-Wait!_ _I_ _have questions!"_

He smiled, apparently, reading my mind. _"_ _Questions_ _like_ _those_ _are no longer your concern."_

My shoulders slumped. _"But..."_

He gently took my hands. His form began to fade. I met his kind gaze. _"My heiress,_ _I_ _give you my final words._ _Break_ _the bonds that_ _shackled_ _you to my past. Create your own legacy and lead the world to an age of light and goodness."_ His form began to become insubstantial and transparent. _"I may fade_ _but_ _my legacy shall survive. Please remember me in your immortal life."_

I bit my lip. A wave of sadness washed over me. I gathered the strength to speak up. _"I will."_ I smiled. _"Thank you."_

He nodded. _"I believe this_ _where_ _we part ways. Reunite with your_ _long-lost_ _friend. I believe he's waiting for you for a long time."_

 _"Who...?"_

I glanced at the serpent's eyes and a thought popped in my mind. For the last time, I looked at Phanes' eyes. The millennia that had passed forwarded in my mind. The creation and the enrichment of time. Wars wasted and peace fought for. Phanes smiled kindly one last time and completely faded away.

A thorn was pulled out of my chest and finally I could breath and be myself. I turned and looked out at the darkness before me. I could almost feel the paper where the prophecy was written inside my pocket. _Darkness housed the ch_ _ained. The chained, the voice in my head,_ _and_ _Phanes' serpent._ A memory resurfaced when I was still a baby.

 _Alexios._

* * *

~Hermes' POV~

* * *

We gathered around the throne room. Uncle Poseidon had just arrived a moment after Hephaestus, who came from one of his workshops. After the ruckus an hour ago, Zeus desperately ordered me to gather all Olympians. Of course, that doesn't include the exiled.

Everyone has been feeling on the edge since an hour ago. Ares was unusually quiet (that's a first). Demeter was not offering any cereal (or maybe because it was night). Athena seemed uneasy and unfocused (what in the world are we going into?). Uncle Hades looked irritated. Uncle Poseidon looked pale. Dionysus wasn't drinking any Diet Coke nor reading any magazine. Aphrodite, apparently, had her makeup unfinished (she still looks downright hot). Hephaestus kept on destroying his work, not making any progress at all. The fire of Aunt Hestia's hearth seemed weaker than usual. Father Zeus still clutching his head despite saying that it is no longer hurting. Even I felt on the edge. My body felt exhausted and out of energy. Everything was sudden blur. It left as fast as it arrived but left a lasting effect on us. _What's happening_ _down_ _there_ _?_

Father tapped his fingers on the arm of his throne. _"_ _Does_ _anyone of you knew what had just transpired tonight?"_

We all looked at each another weakly. All shook their heads except me. Zeus doesn't seemed to mind. He must have felt my sudden exhaustion.

 _"Do you think it's Tartarus?"_ Hades asked.

 _"The possibility is hard to ignore."_ Athena said though a bit of her voice sounded unconvinced.

 _"_ _Sending_ _a sudden_ _ripple_ _of bad feeling this strong to all beings?"_ Demeter asked. She shook her head. _"I don't think so."_

 _"Then, who do you think can do it?"_

Everyone shuffled in their seats. No one answered. No one had any idea. I looked at the fire crackling at the hearth. The voices of the Fates echoed in my mind.

 _The time has come. She had finally arrived. Her radiance shall bloom from the darkness and shine upon all creation._

I raised my hand and everyone turned their eyes at my direction. Martha and George looked at me as if saying, _You're not_ _serious_ _, aren't you?_ I stood up and looked at the other Olympians. _"This may come out as a shock, but,"_ I let my gaze settle on my dad. I inhaled. _"Ariacalyssa was the one who did that. She's alive_ _and_ _she's in Tartarus."_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 - A Declaration of War Through A Giant Hippo**

* * *

~Trisha Ledger's POV~

* * *

Together with the other campers, I went to my position just like what we practiced in the drills formulated by the head counselors. Ever since the transfer of the Romans here in Camp Half-Blood, the defenses were regularly improved. Giant eagles and pegasi roamed the skies as lookouts. Ships were docked by the shores of Long Island. Trenches, onagers, and other nasty weapons created by the combined knowledge and skills of Athena and Hephaestus/Vulcan kids were positioned in the perimeter of the camp. The regular schedule of the whole camp was altered to fit in with the incoming war. The Amazons and Hunters had sent out reinforcements and equipments. Even the nymphs are on the move, updating the administration about enemy movements on land, water, and air.

I watched as Jason Grace, the head counselor of Cabin #1, landed down and spoke with Annabeth and her friends. The female Roman praetor nodded and began shouting orders. Apparently, it was another horde of monsters. As everyone took their positions, the long-expected had finally happened.

The ground rumbled, rippling like the waves of the ocean. Screams broke out as the cracks snaked from the fissure that opened up days ago. The fissure widened like a mouth with jagged edges. A flock of flying monsters bursted out of the fissure while some crawled out. The night sky darkened as the multitude masked out the moon and the stars. The riders above and the archers below quickly locked into battle. The others campers, Greek and Roman alike, rushed to combat against the ones on the ground. A dog-headed monster charged at me but I quickly evaded and stabbed my sword at its back. A empousai grabbed my arm, digging its claws on my skin, but it vaporized and Darren appeared in my sight.

He smiled, showing even white teeth. _"Honored to be of service, Milady."_

I rolled my eyes at his gesture. I smiled. _"_ _Thank_ _you."_

A harpy swooped in but an arrow impaled itself on monster's forehead. We jumped away as a drakon fell with a loud thump. Standing not far away was Clarisse with her electric spear. I nodded on her direction and surged back to battle with Darren.

Within a few seconds, the whole camp became a battlefield. Vines sprouted from the ground and entangled monsters. Water bursted out of the lake as Percy controlled them. Lightnings struck down to monsters as the son of Jupiter summoned them. Balls of fire shot up the sky, courtesy of Hephaestus/Vulcan kids. Some of monsters turned into harmless animals thanks to the Hecate/Trivia kids. I couldn't see Nico but I could see skeleton warriors emerging from the earth and fighting off monsters. Not far off, the Athena Parthenos statue glowed, driving off monsters away and giving off power and energy to the demigods. Monsters kept coming but some demigods had surrounded the fissure to take down the emerging monsters. Despite this, the monster count had decreased into half.

When we thought we're winning, the ground rumbled once again and shrieks exploded near the fissure. Slowly emerging was a thirty foot tall giant with skin and dragon feet the color of burnt orange. His black hair was greased back and he wore a massive tracksuit with gold chains around his neck. His eyes were void black. Wispy smoke curled around him. He radiated the horror of the god of the Pit. He strode in a zombie-like fashion.

Not far away, our head counselor gasped in shock. _"That's...Hippolytos!"_

He spoke up, a voice too familiar to ignore. A chill went up to my spine and the memory more than a week ago resurfaced. With trembling hands, I instinctively touched the charm bracelet. Darren gave me a reassuring squeeze on the arm.

 _"CHILDREN OF OLYMPUS! YOUR_ _TIME_ _WILL SOON_ _COME_ _TO ITS END! THE GODS YOU RECOGNIZED WILL NO LONGER_ _EXIST_ _JUST AS YOU WILL BE!"_

The giant raised his fists and struck the ground. The cracks widened like the ground during a drought. A volley of arrows shot up but bounced off harmlessly on the giant. The giant picked up a tree and threw it to the nearest cabin, smashing down the roof. Black fumes shot out of the cracks. A few campers got wind of the smoke and collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. Medics rushed back and forth, treating and carrying the injured away from the battlefield. The giant continued thrashing the cabins, hitting them with his fists or kicking them like some children's blocks. Attacks bounced off harmlessly on him and monsters continued pouring out of the fissure. I would have gotten wind of a fume that suddenly blasted from the ground in front of me if it weren't for Clarisse. She struck her spear upward as a Stymphalian bird swooped in. Despite getting away from the smoke in the last minute, the close contact left me coughing.

Clarisse gripped my arm lightly. Her face was etched with concern. _"Are you alright?"_

 _"Y...Yeah."_ I coughed. _"Thank you. If it weren't for you..."_

 _"_ _Save_ _that for later."_

 _"Yeah._ _If_ _we live through this..."_

Clarisse slapped me on the back. _"Stop being a pessimist! If we live through this,_ _I_ _will make you do one hundred_ _push-ups_ _!"_

I groaned. _"You're such a sadist."_

Clarisse grinned. _"Let's survive!"_

I smiled and nodded. _"Yeah."_

We parted ways as another fume-like geyser exploded between us. I slashed down a harpy as it flew down. Dozens of campers have gathered around the giant, trying to take him down to protect the remaining cabins. The giant was about to smash down Cabin #1 when a massive lightning shot out and hit the giant on the face. The giant staggered backward and fell down on Cabin #3, smashing into fine pieces. Gasps erupted all around as streaks of different colored lights beamed down from the sky, vaporizing the monsters. The monsters flying above scrambled in panic as chariots descended down the sky. Riding those chariots were the Olympian gods, ten of them. Showers of golden monster dust rained down as the gods vaporized the monsters. Some of the Olympians landed down and joined the battle on the ground. Cheers exploded from the demigods and surged into battle together with the gods. Soon, the monster count was reduced significantly and no more were coming out as Hades forced the fissure to close up.

The giant Hippolytos tried to stand up but only to be struck by another lightning bolt from the king of the gods. Zeus flew just above the giant, his Master Bolt crackling with power. The giant laughed menacingly, seemingly amused by the ruckus.

 _"SO, THE OLYMPIANS HAD COME TO SAVE THEIR BROOD?"_ He chuckled. _"SO TOUCHING! I_ _EXPECTED_ _YOU ALL WILL APPEAR FOR THE LATER DATE."_

 _"Tartarus."_ Zeus growled, his whole body radiated an angry aura.

 _"ZEUS. THE GOD WHO CALL HIMSELF KING OF COSMOS."_ He mused. _"_ _IT SEEMED WE ARE HAVING A LITTLE PRACTICE BEFORE THE REAL FUN. I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT YOUR HOPELESS COUNCIL ALONG."_

Zeus pointed his Master Bolt to the giant. His eyes were of absolute anger, a raging storm. _"Give me my daughter back!"_

 _"OH?"_ His eyes narrowed. _"_ _SO, YOU ALREADY KNEW THE TRUTH? HAHAHAHA! FINALLY! THIS_ _MAKES_ _THINGS MORE INTERESTING!"_ The giant smiled darkly. _"BUT, WHO ARE YOU TO ORDER A PRIMORDIAL_ _AROUND_ _?"_ He sneered. _"YOU'RE NOTHING BUT AN INSECT. AN INSECT THAT WILL FINALLY MEET ITS DOOM!"_ He laughed. " _ARIACALYSSA IS MORE THAN YOUR LEAGUE! SHE'S A PROTOGENOs! SHE'S NEVER YOUR DAUGHTER! YOU WILL ALL DIE ON THE HANDS OF THE ONE YOU CALL YOUR OWN! IT IS HER DESTINY!"_

 _"LIES!"_ He shot him with another lightning. _"I_ _warn_ _you, Tartarus! If anything happens to my daughter, you shall never know mercy! BEGONE!"_ He struck him with lightning as a group of demigods attacked. The giant vaporized in a huge heap of golden dust before being carried by the wind. The ground rumbled once more in a manner of an evil laughter as the fissure finally closed like a mouth of a beast.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 - Guess What? I Have A Dragon.**

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

I knelt down by the edge of the peninsula. All I see was darkness. I blinked, trying to make anything out of the darkness. _It must be here somewhere._ The humming in my head grew louder and seemingly excited. I sighed in exasperation. _Why don't you help me out?_ The humming became rhythmic as if saying, _Come on now! Don't you want a little challenge?_ I nocked an arrow and let it fly below, taking notes of every detail. After another few rounds, the glow of an arrow caught a glimpse of a black marble doorway. _Finally! The entrance to the Mansion of Night!_ Nyx must have obscured the doorway since Percy's and Annabeth's descent here.

From my quiver, I took the silver arrow. _I am the faint light that cuts through the bonds of the dark past._ My encounter with Phanes had finally gave me understanding of why the twin gods sent me this arrow. The inscription was related to the third line of the prophecy and so does to myself. _Darkness_ undoubtedly refers to Nyx. _The faint light_ refers to Artemis as the moon goddess. _The bonds of the dark past_ mean the sin of the past. Letting this arrow fly and breaking the chains of the bounded will symbolize my forgiveness and my freedom to the past. The past that was never mine. _Just like what Phanes wants me to._ I nocked another arrow and struck it to the marble, lighting up a portion of the doorway.

I nocked the silver arrow and closed my eyes. I listened to the humming, trying to pinpoint the location. My senses had grown sharper the last few days and using my powers no longer exhaust me quickly. I opened my eyes as faint light flickered down the doorway. Within that brief moment, I adjusted my calculations and let loose of the arrow. It quickly disappeared down in the darkness. I sat down and waited, hoping my interpretation with the third line of the prophecy was correct. Chaos' protection is still up, obscuring my presence to monsters and to Tartarus.

I closed my eyes and let myself off for the moment. _I was isolated_ _from_ _immortality yet the time has come for my true blood to_ _resurface_ _._ My memories of when I was still a young goddess were mostly fuzzy. I focused on the ones that were the clearest to me. My mother showing me the throne room, my half-brother Apollo singing, and the feast held in honor of my arrival.

Slowly, I tapped on a bit of my power and connected myself to all living beings present in Tartarus. _I am the goddess of_ _life_. _Be it a god, a monster, or a mortal, as long as it has life,_ _I_ _have_ _power_ _over_ _them_ _._ In all within a minute, I managed to see through the eyes of different monsters until I've obtained access to a Stymphalian bird. Where the bird was, hundreds of monsters were gathered around a doorway. A continuous stream of monsters went through the door until its the turn of the monster I took hold. Darkness surrounded me until it emerged through a wide crack on the earth. As it soared above, I caught a clear view of below.

It was night. Buildings of different designs and fields ripe of strawberries dotted the landscape. _Camp Half-Blood._ Tonight, however, was not the camp I remembered. A huge multitude of monsters had invaded the camp, all emerging from a long, gaping fissure. Campers, both Roman and Greek, were armed and locked in combat. I caught a glimpse of my friends in the battlefield, each doing their best to defend the camp. I shared my will to my monster, making it join the flock of monsters in the sky yet ordering it not to attack anybody. The battle went on until my view of the ground below shook. From the fissure, a giant slowly emerged.

My connection broke off when I heard roar. I opened my eyes and untimely came face to face with a dragon. Its transparent white scales melted with the darkness, almost pure black. It unfurled its feathery wings and collar and bore its electric blue reptilian eyes on me. A low growl issued from its throat. I raised my eyebrow and crossed my arms.

 _"_ _Really_ _? After making me wait, you're gonna growl at me?"_ I asked.

The dragon tucked its wings. It growled, its voice echoing in my head. _You're kidding me,_ _right_ _? Tell_ _me_ _you're_ _kidding_ _because_ _I_ _will tell you WHO waited sixteen years CHAINED in Night's_ _Mansion_ _!_

I stood up and dusted my pants. _"So, you're angry?"_

 _Angry?!_ The dragon stomped. _Angry doesn't sum it up! I'm mad! Have you ever experienced being chained down?! No! Of course you don't!_

 _"Well, I experienced being isolated from immortality,_ _raised by three grandmothers who were actually the Fates,_ _living_ _as a clueless demigod,_ _enduring_ _training in a camp, being_ _tied down to a protogenos devoured by my dad, getting dragged down to the worst place in earth, being trapped for weeks now just because some psycho needs me for revenge, and_ _getting_ _shouted by some dragon who complains about being locked in the Mansion of Night for sixteen years. Yep, you REALLY got the worst part of the deal."_

 _Nevermind._ The dragon grumbled. _But really, give your mom a good scolding when you_ _get_ _your place back in the Olympus. She should have chosen a better place to put me down. Or better, not_ _chain_ _me down at all._

 _"She knows what she's doing."_ I shrugged. _"Well, most of the time. She knew that_ _you_ _will just interrupt with the plan."_

 _Funny. If_ _I_ _remember, I'm like, you know, your other half._

I rolled my eyes. _"Really? I didn't know that."_

 _You're_ _lying_ _. I know because_ _I_ _can read your mind._

I smirked. _"Maybe. Maybe not."_

 _Oh! You want a piece of me? Come here and_ _I_ _will burn you to crisp._

I chuckled. _"You know you don't have the guts to do that, you know."_

 _What?! Are you mocking me?!_

I grinned. _"No. But_ _I_ _could read your mind."_

 _You little copycat!_

I laughed. I patted Alexios' head. _"Glad to have_ _you_ _back. Come on. We got a world to save."_

 _Alright! This will be fun!_

I climbed his back and looked over the darkness. _"_ _Ummm_ _...hey Chaos. Thanks for looking after me. We're going now. Please give my_ _thanks_ _to Nyx. I owe you two_ _big time_ _."_ No audible response but the dome of protection slowly faded away. A low surge of energy brushed my skin. A simple gesture that easily conveyed a message. I nodded in response. I patted Alexios' scaly skin gently. _"Let's go."_ He unfurled his feathery wings, flapped them, and soared at the bloodred sky of Tartarus.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19 - Doors of Death: Almost There But I Got Smacked Down**

* * *

 **Note: I don't own PJO nor HOO. All credits goes to Rick Riordan for these two wonderful series. Credits to the artists of the pictures used in the cover.**

* * *

~Atè's POV~

* * *

I watched as five chariots appeared from different directions and landed down not far from us. Five Olympians went out and studied me and the child of Hades.

 _"You...you're..."_

I gave a mocking bow. _"Most pleased to be in your presence_ _once_ _again, Queen Hera. I hope you still remember the punishment laid down on me."_

Hera narrowed her eyes. _"What are you doing here?"_

 _"Why, of course!"_ I spread my arms. _"To help your_ _daughter_ _escape._ _After all, we have a deal."_

 _"A deal?"_ She eyed me with suspicion. Her staff glowed dangerously bright. _"What are you playing at, you minor goddess?"_

 _"Tsk. Tsk."_ I wagged one finger. _"If you think_ _I_ _have time to play around, then, you're one step closer to your doom, Queen Hera."_

 _"Why you-!"_

 _"Whoa! Whoa! Timeout!"_ Nico gave out a timeout sign. _"We're not here to fight."_

 _"The child of Hades is right."_ Artemis said. _"We're not_ _gathered_ _here to fight. We're here to help_ _Christine_ _out of Tartarus."_

I shot Nico with a look that says, _Aren't you a_ _bit_ _suicidal?_

He simply shrugged which easily means, _Yeah. Always._

 _"You mean Ariacalyssa?"_ Apollo said.

 _"Shut it, brother."_ Artemis hissed. _"Not all of us here knows the truth."_

 _"What truth?"_ I asked. I turned to Hera and narrowed my eyes. _"What are_ _plotting_ _this_ _time_ _, Hera?"_

The Olympians exchanged long, silent looks. Finally, Artemis spoke up. _"There's no longer a point on keeping_ _the truth_ _when_ _things had_ _turned_ _this way."_ She glanced to Hera. _"But now is not the time for that._ _Helping_ _Christine escape_ _Tartarus_ _and keeping her safe from him are top priorities this time around. If we succeed, then, we, the Olympians ourselves, will explain things to all our allies, including the demigods."_

 _"_ _In other words,"_ Nico crossed his arms. _"You know why Tartarus wants Christine badly."_

 _"_ _Yes."_ Apollo nodded. _"Apparently, Christine is the most vital part of this upcoming war. The core, that is."_

 _"If we failed to rescue her,"_ Hermes said. His eyes darkened. _"_ _it will be_ _game over_ _for us."_

Nico gulped. _"But that's-"_

Hades raised a hand, interrupting Nico. _"My son, we_ _know_ _you have a lot of_ _questions_ _in your mind. But, just like what Artemis said, now is not the time. We must focus on saving your friend. Explanations will come later."_

Nico sighed in defeat. _"Right..."_

 _"Is_ _Thanatos_ _ready?"_ I asked.

 _"Yes."_ Hades nodded. _"Soon, he will open the_ _Doors_ _of Death. Nico, be ready to hold the_ _Doors_ ' _button. Is your associate ready at the other side?"_

I nodded.

 _"Very well then. Will we ever succeed, may the Fates let us be."_

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

We soared high above the bloodred sky, keeping distance away from flying monster hordes and from the fog. Now is not the time to pick a fight. If what Chaos said was correct, then, we must hurry up before Tartarus notice my presence.

 _Listen to me very well, Ariacalyssa. Death will open its doors to you at the fallen shrine of the messenger god. You_ _must_ _escape_ _this_ _cursed place._ _If you fail to do so, be warned that the world will no longer be the one you knew._

 _I know,_ _Chaos_ _. Failure is not an option._ I held tight as Alexios swerved to the right to avoid a tree. We dived down a cliff and finally caught sight of the drakon swamp. The drakon was nowhere to be found, perhaps, it had gone to hide. The atmosphere felt a whole different. A strong sense of foreboding made me uneasy. I pushed it down for a moment, focusing on keeping us alive. I pressed my hand on Alexios' scales as we soared above the Forest of Curses, temporarily sharing my ability to become invisible. Some arai flying above the forest flew past us without another glance. My invisibility slowly faded off as we finally caught sight of the broken black columns of the shrine of Hermes. We landed down. I climbed down Alexios' back and looked around. _No doors of any_ _kind_ _._

I looked at Alexios who shook his head. _What now?_

I sighed. _"Though not the best idea, we must wait."_

 _I don't like that idea._

 _"And so do_ _I_ _. At this rate, Tartarus will find us and go after us. We must be ready."_

From a distance, a familiar roar echoed through the rocky terrain.

 _I guess we have only a few seconds to get ready._

I felt a faint tremor from the ground. I rushed up on Alexios' back. _"Fly. NOW!"_

We soared up as the ground beneath exploded. Chunks of rock flew upward and a huge cloud of dust bursted like a geyser. A voice thundered through the assault.

 _"ARIACALYSSA!"_

 _You know what?_ Alexios said.

 _"What?"_

 _Next time you're having suitors, make sure they aren't some crazy gods who are into destroying the Olympians and their own crib._

 _"Should_ _I_ _leave you here?"_

 _Forget_ _what_ _I_ _said_ _earlier_ _._

From the chaos beneath, an all too familiar figure rose fifty times bigger than us. Tartarus' vortex of a face stared at us like a huge black whirlpool as the end of a sailor's journey. I felt the air getting sucked out of my lungs. My palms gripped tightly unto Alexios' scales. I gathered my courage to speak to the enormous featureless face.

 _"Yo, how's it going? Long time no see!"_ I said in an overly friendly voice.

 _You're kidding, right?_

 _Shut up._

 _"_ _YES. IT'S BEEN QUITE A LONG TIME."_ If Tartarus has a face, he might be smiling at us like some mad scientist.

 _"Yeah."_ I cleared my throat. _"If you want to know how's my stay here, well, it's fine though it kinda lacks some comforts. It's fine, really. But this place is not my thing."_

 _"I SEE. DON'T WORRY. YOU WON'T BE STAYING LONG."_

 _"Really?"_ I asked, secretly signaling Alexios to get ready.

 _"INDEED."_ The vortex intensified. _"BECAUSE YOU WILL BE NO LONGER."_

 _"ALEXIOS!"_ A huge hot plume of fire erupted at Tartarus' face. Alexios flew upward, away from Tartarus' face. The protogenos roared in anger. He extinguished the fire and tried grabbed at us. We flew through the gap between his fingers, staying clear of his face. I nocked an arrow and infused it with lightning. It exploded on Tartarus' chest. The god staggered backward, crushing a cliff. Tartarus roared and shot out a beam of light which we barely avoided.

 _Come on! Use some very powerful godly voodoo power!_

 _"I can't do that yet! I'm not yet complete immortal! My powers are not yet fully back!"_

 _For_ _Olympus_ _' sake! Curse that immortality-removing power!_

 _"Focus on flying! Curse them later!"_

We swerved to the right as Tartarus reached out.

 _Easy for you to say! I'm the one with wings!_

 _"Well, I'm a_ _daughter_ _of a sky god! I can fly!"_

 _Why don't you fly?_

 _"Can we settle this later? Let's focus on staying alive!"_

 _Deal!_

A tendril of black smoke lashed at us. We avoided it. I willed us to become invisible as another went after us. The curl of black smoke stopped abruptly as it lose sight of its target. I commanded Alexios to fly silently as he could and landed down on a cliff nearby.

Tartarus shouted in outrage. _"COME OUT YOU LITTLE GODDESS! DON'T TELL ME YOU FEAR ME?!"_

I rolled my eyes. Okay. Fine. I'm afraid. A bit.

 _"YOU'RE JUST LIKE THOSE_ _OLYMPIANS_ _! A BUNCH OF COWARDS WHO PRETEND TO BE POWERFUL BUT WERE NOTHING BUT WEAKLINGS!"_

 _Is this guy for real?_ Alexios asked. _If that's how gods_ _looked_ _like to him, why he's so desperate to get you?_

 _Beats me._ I said but that wasn't the truth. The truth is that I'm the key to winning the war. I am already very powerful as a goddess but with the power I inherited from the First King...I am a force to truly fear and respect, be it an Olympian or a protogenos. I am both a goddess and a protogenos. _And the one who's_ _truly_ _afraid is Tartarus._

 _"_ _COME_ _OUT!"_ The tendrils of smoke randomly lashed out at the surroundings. _Tartarus knew we're still here. We must act quick._ Still invisible, my eye caught a ripple near the altar of the shrine. From that ripple, a rectangular figure began to materialized. Elevator doors.

Alexios noticed it too. _Is that-?_

 _"Yeah. Let's-"_ A tendril of smoke hit us and the next thing I knew was Tartarus gripping me with his hand.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 - When Your Family Is A Godly One**

* * *

~Hera's POV~

* * *

 _"Mom..."_

I clutched my chest as a sudden pain struck it.

 _"Your_ _Majesty_ _?"_ Artemis asked. _"Are you alright?"_

 _"My daughter..."_ I gasped. _"My daughter! She's in grave danger! I have to save her!"_ I lunged for the Doors of Death but Hades and Apollo stopped me. _"Get out of my way! I have to save my daughter!"_

 _"No!"_ Hades said sternly. _"You must not. It's too dangerous."_

 _"You are in no position to order_ _me_ _, Hades! Get out of my_ _way_ _!"_ I pushed through them but they grabbed me by both arms, restraining me. _"_ _Let_ _me go! You will pay for this!"_ I screeched. _"My_ _daughter_ _! Ariacalyssa!"_

* * *

~Artemis' POV~

* * *

I watched silently as Uncle Hades and Apollo struggled to restrained Hera. I focused on the faint tremors reverberating across the landscape. Something is happening down in Tartarus. A battle, perhaps? Other than, I found something that surprised me. _Fear._ More specifically, it was Tartarus'.

 _What's happening down there, to the_ _point_ _of frightening the God of Evil?_

I snapped back to reality as the atmosphere shifted suddenly.

 _"Please calm down, Your Majesty!"_ _Apollo said as he struggled._

 _"No!"_ Hera insisted. _"My daughter!"_

I looked up and my eyes widened in surprise. The others must have noticed my gaze. They, too, looked up and stopped in their movements.

Up above, the night sky had parted, showing the Olympian landscape. Emerging from it, armed and riding their chariots, were the other Olympians. Leading them was my father, his Master Bolt crackling with anger filled his expression.

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

 _The last thing I remembered was an evil tendril of smoke slamming at us._

My consciousness came back very slowly. I blinked and found myself hundreds of feet above ground. My head throbbed and my ribs screamed in pain. Warm fluid seeped from my left arm. I must have injured it from the impact. I tasted something metallic in my mouth. My breathing turned desperate. The world spun until I came to face with a huge pitch black vortex. At that moment, I snapped back to reality. _Tartarus!_ I squirmed, trying to break free, but he tightened his grip. I screamed in pain.

 _"DO NOT BOTHER, YOUNG GODDESS! THERE IS NO ESCAPE!"_

From the corner of eye, I saw Alexios sprawled on the ground. One of his wings was buried under a huge pile of rocks. He roared. The desperate sound reverberating across the landscape. Our eyes met. Electric blue to electric blue.

 _"AAAAAHHHHHH!"_ I screamed as Tartarus' hand tightened.

 _"YES, SUFFER!_ _OUR_ _CHASE US OVER,_ _ARIACALYSSA_ _. YOU, THE YOUNGEST OF ALL OLYMPIANS, SHALL BE THE FIRST TO PERISH!"_

I tried to summon lightning or anything to no avail. Pain racked my body to the point of being numb. My voice grew hoarse. I saw my life flashed before my eyes.

 _The sixteen_ _mortal years_ _I_ _spent happily and contentedly with the Fates. The warmth of Aunt_ _Beryl's- my mother- hands as she held me and the_ _motherly_ _love she kept hidden behind the folds of a mortal disguise. My time in camp. My friends. My descent to the_ _Underworld_ _. My fall to Tartarus and the hardships I went through._ _The reason of my_ _existence_ _and the history behind my power._ _My successes and failures._

I reached out my hand to do anything just to escape. I could see the Doors of Death, an escape so close yet so far. From the corner of my eye, I saw the same Titan and Giant before. _Iapetus and Damasen._ Pain once again slammed like a wave. I felt my energy being taken away. As my consciousness faded away, my mouth muttered one word.

 _"Mom..."_

* * *

~Apollo's POV~

* * *

I will never admit it. I didn't hide behind Uncle Hades when Father and the other Olympians landed down. Nor, did I whimper even subtly. No. No. I'm not scared. I'm a god. Why would I?

As soon as they landed, Father approached us. His face, a true demonstration of the word _angry._ Artemis glared at me like, _Get your act together, you idiot!_ I truly have such a caring twin little sister, don't I?

Father looked at each of us. He's totally unimpressed by the sight of us. _"_ _All_ _of you? Even this child of Hades?"_

 _"Umm...what do you_ _mean_ _?"_ Nico asked, confused.

 _"No. He doesn't know."_ Hades said, coming into the defense of the demigod. _"And speaking of,_ _I_ _just recently learned of it._ _Though the other details, I'm eager to hear it later."_

 _"And you?"_ His face contorted into displeasure.

Atè smiled widely, ignoring Zeus' glare. _"A TRUSTED acquaintance of the daughter of Hera."_ Intentionally, she emphasized the word _trusted._

He glared at me. _O Olympus!_ _Why_ _art thou harsh on me?_ He skipped Artemis, his expression softened briefly. _No fair! Why can't he do_ _that_ _to me?_

He turned to Hera. His words firm and his voice restrained. _"Where is my daughter?"_

 _"M-My lord! She...she's..."_

 _"Where is she?"_

 _"In...Tartarus..."_

Finally having his answer, he turned to the ready Olympians. _"Ready your weapons. We're heading to Tartarus."_

 _"We will join you, brother."_ Hades said.

 _"...Very well. The others, wait here. But don't think you're off the hook._ _After this,_ _I_ _will have a talk to all of you. Especially you, Hera."_

He rode back to his chariot and went ahead. I summoned mine and followed the others.

* * *

~Hermes' POV~

* * *

The place was worse than I knew. The landscape was completely thrashed like some giant stomping on them just because he got his candy stolen from him. Speaking of a giant, a fifty times bigger than usual Tartarus was standing by the ruins of the ruins of my ruined temple which drove me into anger. _Really? The temple's already ruined and then, you will ruin it again?_ _Have_ _you lost your mind?_ Monsters began to rush toward the battlefield, apparently attracted to the smell of demigod blood. Even from far away, I could see the almost lifeless body of Christine Galliardo within the colossal grip of Tartarus. Not far, the most beautiful and magnificent dragon I've ever seen lay buried under a huge pile of rocks. I got a feeling I saw that one a long time ago.

Father began giving orders. _"_ _Demeter, Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, Artemis and Hephaestus, drive those filthy beasts away!"_

 _"What?! But_ _I_ _want to kick Tartarus' ass!"_ Ares whined.

 _"Do it or I will be the one to kick yours!"_

 _"Fineee."_

 _"Hermes! Free Alexios!"_

 _"Alexios? Who's that?"_ I asked.

 _"Ariacalyssa's dragon. That one."_ He pointed.

 _"It's her dragon?!"_ I asked in surprise. _"Wait? When did she_ _had_ _a dragon?"_ I thought for a moment. _"Oh...yeah. I remembered now. That's why. Wait...it has a name? Oh, well. I will go and rescue it."_

 _"The others will go with me! We're going against Tartarus and save my daughter!"_

We shouted our battle cries and then, separated to our assigned tasks.

In the monster-slaying team, Demeter began summoning thick vines and throwing various kinds of fruits while swinging her scythe at the not-so-vegitarian monsters. Aphrodite just glared at the empousa saying, _That IS so not the latest fashion trend!_ Before zapping them into crisp. Ares was laughing like a maniac while trampling down monsters with his chariot and decapitating them. Apollo and Artemis were both shooting down monsters together. Lastly, Hephaestus was summoning fire and some of his awesome automatons.

Above, in the Tartarus's butt kicking team, Zeus was bombarding the protogenoi with lightning and wind, sending nuclear bombs on his face. Poseidon was splashing huge torrents of water and briefly, sending out earthquakes to throw off Tartarus' balance. Hades had summoned a huge skeletal army and helping Poseidon in throwing off Tartarus out of balance. Hera was blasting Tartarus with beams from her staff and had summoned some of her most ferocious beasts to attack the god. Athena was stabbing with her spear and had summoned some owls, her sacred bird, to distract the god to gain some opening to retrieve Christine. Lastly, Dionysus grew vines to tie down the god and slow his movements.

I briefly watched Tartarus struggled against the my fellow gods, blinding swiping and summoning tendrils of smoke before going to my task. I quickly flew, avoiding flying monsters, and descended down beside the dragon. It growled as I approached it, threatening to burn me.

 _"Whoa there!"_ I said. _"I'm an ally. Don't fry me."_

It growled, clawing on the ground. It glanced at Christine before returning back at me.

 _"You want to save her?"_ I asked. _"Then, be a little cooperative_ _and_ _we'll get to that, pal."_

It growled and glared at me one last time before settling down. I moved back and aimed my caduceus to the pile of rocks.

The dragon glared at me. His voice rang in my ears. _If you_ _make_ _any small mistake,_ _I_ _will kill you._

A beam shot out and blasted the rocks to very small pieces. Immediately, the dragon soared up and grabbed Christine Galliardo as Tartarus lose hold of her. The dragon lose control and they crashed down. I hastily flew to their direction and inspected them. The dragon lay sprawled on the ground, one of its wings broken. Beneath the other was the demigod. She's badly injured and her left arm was bleeding. I could barely see and feel her breathing. No...she will no longer be if not treated immediately. I desperately motioned for the others.

Apollo rushed to us. His chariot turned into an ambulance big enough to carry the dragon. We quickly loaded the two as the others covered for us. Apollo began attending them as I took wheels.

Zeus shouted a command. _"Olympians! Withdraw for now!"_

With that, the Doors of Death disappeared. I could still hear Tartarus' roar as we all vanished in a flash of light back to Olympus.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21 - Chiron and Nico Keeping Secrets. A Bad Combination.**

* * *

~Trisha Ledger's POV~

* * *

Clarisse and I quickly ran to the Big House as soon as Nico returned to camp. Everyone has gathered outside, waiting for news. Nico came in to talk with Chiron only. I could hear conversations bubbling up among the crowd but not exactly we want to hear.

 _"Nico came back...but he came back alone."_

 _"Really? Are you sure? Maybe they got Christine in the infirmary before_ _you_ _saw him?"_

 _"No. I actually saw him shadow travel. He got no one with him."_

 _"I saw him pretty beat up. Well, not_ _exactly_ _'beat' up. More of tired."_

 _"Do you think he failed? I mean, this is_ _Tartarus_ _we're dealing about."_

 _"Did something happen?"_

" _Why aren't the head counselors or even the Roman praetors included inside?"_

 _"Shhh! They're going out!"_

Nico and Chiron emerged out of the Big House. Just like what they said, Nico looked pretty worn out. His eyes more hollowed and his skin paler than usual. Chiron stomped one hoof on the wooden floor and everyone went silent.

 _"Listen everyone! I know all of you are eager to know what happened with the rescue Nico di Angelo himself planned but...I must only give you a very brief report."_

The crowd buzzed in disbelief.

 _Why is that? Did something happen?_

Clarisse squeezed my arm in reassurance. _"It'll be okay. I'm sure of it."_

I nodded. I fingered the dove pendant of the Imperial Gold charm bracelet.

 _"Do not worry! I assure you, it will be good news. In fact, the rescue was successful! Christine Galliardo, the daughter of Hera, is in safe hands now."_

The crowd cheered. I hugged Clarisse. We both jumped in happiness. _Thank the gods! You really came back, Christine! You granted your promise!_

From the crowd, a hand went up. It was Piper. Everyone went silent. _"Chiron, where is she?"_

Chiron was silent for a moment, deliberating whether to answer or not. Finally, he spoke up. His voice grave. _"Truth to be told, she's in Olympus._ _Currently_ _, Apollo is attending to her injuries."_

The crowd erupted in a series in gasps, not believing what they heard.

Clarisse clutched my hand in fear. _"_ _No way! You got to be damn kidding me!_ _"_

 _"But, Chiron!"_ Will protested. _"_ _Zeus is not in good terms with Christine!"_

 _"I know but I couldn't say more. That's all_ _I_ _could impart with you._ _I'm sorry but if_ _I_ _can reveal more,_ _I_ _would. For now, return to your training."_

The crowd began to protest. Clarisse started to push through the crowd, determined to give Chiron a piece of her mind but I stopped her.

Chiron placed a hand on Nico's shoulder. _"Let's go."_ Together, they returned inside the Big House. I caught Nico's eye and he gave me an apologizing look. Soon, the crowd began to break apart, bringing with a topic to talk about. Clarisse dragged me to the arena. I didn't complained. I need to vent out my fears and frustrations plus, we only have at least two weeks days left to prepare for battle.

* * *

~Jason Grace's POV~

* * *

Later that afternoon, all head counselors and praetors together with Hazel and Rachel gathered in the Big House. Since the shocking turn of events, war council meetings happen everyday. There was no specific time because we know anything could happen anytime. But once we noticed Chiron waiting at the porch of the Big House, it's war meeting time.

As usual, everyone had gathered in the recreation room together with the Roman praetors. The atmosphere was tense. Not because of the incoming war but because of three persons. _Clarisse, Nico, and Chiron._ Will and some the guys had gathered a bit close to Clarisse in case, she charged at Nico or Chiron. Nico was looking better than this morning after having sleep, but still seemed pretty stressed, considering how tight his jaw. Chiron was calmly sitting on his wheelchair but everyone could see that he was in deep thought. We all have questions of our own but we have to wait.

Reports came in from the head counselors guarding the land borders of camp. Then, Percy's report above and under the waters and mine, up above the skies. Reports about the war equipments together with the review of the war strategy and the emergency strategies came in too. Reyna gave out updates from the Hunters and the Amazons. Clarisse (who surprisingly kept her cool as she speak) gave out reports about monster attacks. The attacks throughout today was unusually lower than the days before. We all immediately knew that Tartarus was plotting something and we have to prepare for it...big time.

All reports came in smoothly like a routine but during the time, Chiron seemed inattentive and Nico fidgety. We didn't spoke about it but we all knew they were hiding something. Something concerning the rescue of Christine Galliardo. The meeting was about to end, but Clarisse wasn't about to let the topic slide down.

 _"Chiron..._ " She stood up, one hand on the hilt of her sword.

Will and the others stood up, ready to swoop in, in case trouble comes up. _"Clarisse, don't."_ Will warned.

Clarisse ignored Will and went on. _"I wanted to ask you_ _and_ _Nico the one question all of us have in mind. What are you hiding from us?"_

Everyone shuffled nervously, finding this a sore question to ask very early. We quietly watched their reactions. Clarisse glaring at Chiron and Nico. Chiron resting his head on his hands, deliberating whether to answer or not. Nico simply looking at his shoes, looking as tired as he was in the morning.

Annabeth stood up, surprising us as she joined the fray. _"Are you gonna keep whatever secret that is to us forever? We're tired of secrets, Chiron! We got_ _enough_ _for a lifetime!"_

 _"Annabeth's right."_ Piper said. _"We got a lot of troubles at our hands with the_ _incoming_ _war. We_ _even_ _got a lot of_ _unanswered_ _questions_ _about_ _this war_ _!"_

The others agreed grimly.

 _"Noting that,"_ Reyna said. " _We went through two_ _major_ _wars_ _already_ _. Against the Titans and against the Giants and Gaea. Now, we have_ _another_ _protogenoi to worry about. A god much powerful and evil than Gaea herself."_

 _"At the very least, as leaders of our fellow demigods, tell us! Don't you trust us?"_ Lou insisted.

 _"We had enough of things being hidden from us, Chiron!"_ Clarisse said. _"Tell us! What are you hiding?"_

Chiron and Nico remained silent.

 _"Come on, Chiron! Nico!"_ Hazel pleaded.

Chiron sighed, finally deciding to speak up. _"Listen. It wasn't because we don't trust you."_ He explained. _"It is how it will affect us all...and the war itself."_

 _"What do-"_ Connor said.

 _"_ _You_ _mean?"_ Travis asked.

 _"Chiron."_ Nico said, looking up to meet the centaur's eyes. _"We have to tell them._ _They_ _need to know as soon as possible."_

Chiron tapped his fingers on the ping pong table, not liking where this is going. _"Very well then."_ He surrendered. _"But not now."_

We all buzzed in surprise.

 _"W-What?!"_

 _"What do you mean?!"_

 _"Wait, Chiron!"_

 _"Why?!"_

 _"Come on now, Chiron!"_

Chiron raised one hand and we slowly went silent. _"The truth is more than a truth. It is the very key in which_ _tides_ _this war will take. This cannot be taken lightly. If you're all ready to face the_ _magnitude_ _of the truth, then, you will have the right to know. For now, prepare. You will_ _have_ _your answer in our next meeting._ _Dismiss_ _."_

Chiron immediately went out of room. Nico followed him, having decided to return to his cabin. Hazel went after him. Rage flashed across Clarisse' face as slumped down back to her seat. We all stayed, thinking back at what transpired earlier.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22 - I Woke Up and Found Myself In Heaven. Joke. It's Olympus.**

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

 _Who are you_... _?_

I opened my eyes slightly. My body was very weak and numb. I don't have the energy to open them wider.

Everything was hazy and threatening to become black. I could see three blurry glowing figures.

 _What is your purpose...?_

I could hear voices, desperate voices. I could feel a faint warmth seeping through my bones, trying to revive this almost lifeless body.

 _What are you fighting for..._?

A hand was gripping my hand tightly, trying to hold me longer to the living.

 _"Hold..._ _Ariacalyssa_ _!"_

 _"Don't...us...daughter!"_

 _"Come on...up...sis!"_

My consciousness faded away and I drifted away into the pitch black.

 _Who are you when you wake up..._?

My eyes opened. Instead of the hazy vision, I saw pure white. In front of me was a rectangular mirror. Eyes glazed, I stared at my reflection as it stared back at me. Slim and athletic frame honed by sports and camp training. A face people say very beautiful and regal yet intimidating. Long liquorice black hair cascading like waves tied into a ponytail. Shocking electric blue eyes that change hue depending on my mood. Black magical parka over an orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. Faded jeans and black combat boots.

 _Can you face the_ _change in you..._?

As if hypnotized, I placed my palm on the mirror's surface. I could feel power...very strong power...behind the fragile glass wall. I could feel it hitting on the glass, trying to break out and reunite with me. For a brief moment, the reflection changed into three hooded figures. Their eyes glowed, looking through me.

 _Are you ready to leave the world you've known for a long time...?_

The figures dissolved and my reflection returned. Instead of before, a different 'me' was staring back at me. The same slim and athletic frame. Flawless pinkish white skin. A more beautiful and regal face. Long liquorice black hair cascading like waves down on one shoulder with a small braid going around behind with gold hair accessories inlaid with various gems. A golden diadem sat on top of my head. Shocking electric blue kaleidoscopic eyes. White ancient Greek robes lined with gold at the edges with golden armbands connecting to a thin cape behind. I glowed in soft ethereal light and power.

 _Are you prepared to face yourself_ _when_ _you wake up..._?

The reflection changed again, back to the 'me' now. It stared at me and for the moment, the time I spent in the mortal world came rushing back to me.

 _"Are you...truly ready for this?"_

I pressed my hand on the surface, putting pressure to break the glass. The mirror began to break. Cracks spreading out like spiderwebs. Red blood seeped out of my wounded hand, running down the glass. I pushed and soon, the mirror shattered.

 _"Yes...I am...but not in the way you think..._ "

Light engulfed me as everything else was burned into nothingness.

I gasped as I woke up. The world was hazy, swirling in a multitude of colors. I waited until my sight returned to normal. My head throbbed and my throat dry. My heart was hammering in my chest. My body felt burning, like I have a high fever, and sweat trickled down my skin. I was wearing a set of fresh clothes. I tried to sit up but my body was still very weak. Someone caught me as I listed sideways. I looked up and saw a familiar blond hair and blue eyes. Glowing aura like the sun surrounded him.

 _"You're...Apollo..."_ I mumbled.

 _"_ _You_ _should take it easy, sis."_ He said as he helped me lay down again. _"Your injuries healed much quicker than your usual, but that doesn't mean you're completely okay."_

 _"Where am I...?"_

 _"In your mother's apartment, here in Olympus."_

I gave him a look of disbelief. " _You're...kidding, right?"_

 _"What? Of course not!"_ He said. _"Why would I? I cannot lie, remember? And besides, was there any mortal buildings more magnificent than me?"_

 _"You mean...the buildings in Olympus?"_

 _"It's the same thing! Come on now!"_

 _"Fine...whatever."_ I said. As my head became much clearer, I looked around. I was in a huge rectangular room with walls and pillars made of polished white marble. The ceiling above was made of glass and I could see the the stars and the moon shining in the night sky. A chandelier made of gold and diamonds sparkled against the moonlight.

The wall at my right was made entirely with glass connecting with a balcony outside. The golden curtains were hung back at the sides. Green vines with tiny beautiful flowers were wrapped around the pillars and the balcony railings. Braziers were placed at each side of the pillars and the balcony doors.

At the left was a blue velvet sofa with a glass table in front. Paintings were placed at the wall behind. The rectangular bed was white trimmed with gold. Beside it, at the right, was a golden table where some medicinal herbs, bandages, a glass of nectar, and some ambrosia were placed. At the far end of the bed was a hearth. Opposite of it was a huge golden doors. A pair of braziers were placed on each side.

I noticed a woman's face by the hearth. She smiled at me kindly before vanishing.

" _That's_ _Aunt_ _Hestia."_ Apollo said suddenly. " _S_ _he came by to check on you. You got that a lot_ _when_ _you got here in Olympus."_

 _"A lot?"_

 _"You know, both major and minor gods. But of course, Father made sure to tighten the security here. No one gets in and gets out easily."_

 _"You sounded annoyed."_

 _"Of course, I am!"_ Apollo ranted. _"Can you believe how long before you can get in here? About an_ _hour_ _! They have_ _to_ _do series of inspections and took your weapons away for the_ _time_ _being! I mean,_ _I'm_ _the doctor! You're the patient! Why can't they give me special privilege? What would they do if something bad_ _happened_ _to you? What_ _would_ _Father and Queen Hera do to me if that happened? I've got enough_ _punishments_ _for this_ _millennium_ _!"_

 _"Sounds tough."_ I said nonchalantly.

 _"No kidding! That's why_ _I_ _decided to stay here until you completely recovered. Though, it got its_ _disadvantages_ _. I can't go out to eat my favorite mortal food that's why_ _I_ _have to get Hermes to buy me. But guess what? He had to undergo inspection, too! I can't go out to shoot people and flirt girls. It's frustrating! The only time_ _I_ _must go out was to drive my chick magnet at dawn. It's my duty after all!"_

 _"Sorry about that."_

 _"Nah, it's fine. It's not your fault, after all. Don't worry. We're cool."_ Apollo smiled.

 _"Good to know."_ I smiled weakly. _"Speaking of which, how long_ _I_ _was out? And...how did I got here?"_

 _"The answer for your first question..."_ Apollo lifted his fingers. _"Almost_ _three_ _days."_

I sat up in shock. _"That long?!"_ My head began to throb.

 _"Whoa! I told you to take it easy."_ He helped me down. _"You can't blame yourself. You're pretty beat up to the point of dead."_

Everything came back to me in a landslide. _"Yeah..."_ I muttered. _"If_ _I_ _remembered_ _correctly, Tartarus was gripping me until_ _I_ _lost consciousness."_

 _"Indeed."_ Apollo nodded. _"For your second question, the answer came after that. Remember the Doors of Death?"_

I nodded grimly.

 _"Well, a number of us were waiting at the other_ _side_ _. Suddenly, your mother began saying_ _something_ _about you being in danger."_

 _"I always do."_

 _"_ _Demigod_ _life. Anyways, that's when Olympus opened up and the other_ _Olympians_ _went down. Honestly,_ _I_ _thought we're_ _dead meats_ _. We're fugitives after all...again."_

 _"About how many times_ _already_ _?"_

 _"You don't need to know."_ Apollo said. _"That's when we decided to all team up and rescue you. We kicked the nails out Tartarus and his_ _minions_ _and saved you and that dragon of yours. Then, we_ _brought_ _you here in Olympus to get treated. The end. A happy ending."_

 _"Alexios...? Where is he?"_ I asked in deep concern.

 _"Ah...the dragon? He's-"_ The glass doors suddenly opened at the right and a strong gust of wind bursted inside. Alexios landed down casually and trudged by the side of the bed. _"He's here."_

I placed a hand on his head. _"Hey there, buddy. How are you?"_

 _Don't buddy me!_ He scolded. _You almost got yourself killed! If it weren't for_ _these_ _immortal humans, you'd be!_

 _"Excuse me?!"_ Apollo huffed. _"I'm not a human. I'm a god."_

 _Whatever, pretty boy._

 _"I will take that as a compliment. You're forgiven."_

I snickered. Alexios rolled his eyes. _That's an insult, you moron._

 _"W-What?! You-"_

I chuckled. _"Okay. You two, that's_ _enough_ _._ _Give the patient_ _some_ _peace."_

 _You say, peace. I say, rest. You're burning up. I think you have a fever._

 _"I guess..."_ I agreed. _"My head was throbbing and_ _I_ _feel light-headed."_

 _"Rest for now."_ Apollo said. _"I will wake you up_ _later_ _for medicine."_ He placed one hand on my forehead.

 _I will stay here._ Alexios assured. _Don't worry,_ _I_ _won't_ _leave._

 _"Alright..."_ I mumbled as I drifted back to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23 - How to Deal With Your Womanizer Dad**

* * *

 **Note: I don't own PJO nor HOO. All credits goes to Rick Riordan for these two wonderful series. Credits to the artists of the pictures used in the cover.**

* * *

When I came to again, my fever was gone yet my body still heavy but lighter than before. I sat up. Instead of Apollo, I was greeted by the sight of woman sitting by my bed whose features looked shockingly similar to me. Long liquorice black hair. Beautiful and regal but intimidating face. For the moment, I thought I was looking at my reflection until I looked at her soft oxlike brown eyes. I remembered Aunt Beryl, who have the same eyes, when it struck me.

I clamped my hands on my mouth. _"No...way..."_

The woman shakily took my hands. Tears began to form at the sides of her eyes. _"My...daughter..."_

 _"This...this...got to be a dream, isn't?"_ I stammered.

 _"No...my dear, this is real. Do you know who am_ _I_ _?"_

 _"Do...do_ _I_ _need to say it?"_

I broke apart and hugged her. Her soft touch warmed me. I could smell the fragrance of jasmine, fresh milk, lavender, and lilac. I sobbed. _"Why...why just now? Why didn't you say a thing earlier? I_ _thought_ _...you abandoned me."_

She held me tight. Her voice are like fragile pieces of glass. The tenderness of her voice made me sob. _"I'm sorry. I'm very sorry. I..._ _I_ _was afraid to_ _lose_ _you_ _for_ _eternity. That's why..._ _I_ _need to be apart from you. Even for a long time. To be able to stay_ _with_ _you_ _forever_ _. I-I'm so sorry_ _I_ _let you went through all these._ _Please_ _forgive me!"_

 _"I forgave you a long_ _time_ _ago_ _..."_ I said.

 _"Thank you...and I'm sorry..."_

We broke apart but our hands remained wrapped together. _"Let us start anew, Ariacalyssa. Better and happier with your father."_

I nodded and smiled. I held her hands tighter. _"Yeah...We will..."_

She nodded happily. She gently touched my cheek, wiping my tears. _"Your eyes...they_ _looked_ _like just your father's. Mesmerizing. I bet they change in hue when you're angry."_

I looked down, embarassed. _"Y-Yeah...that's what they said."_

She chuckled. _"What's with that look? Be proud. You are the daughter of the king of the gods."_

 _"Mom."_ I scolded.

 _"Alright. Alright."_ She smiled. _"Though, yours seemed to change in color too. Anyways,_ _I'm_ _quite happy you got most of your most striking features from me."_

I smiled. _"Yep. My hair and my face."_

 _"Are both_ _more_ _glorious than mine."_

 _"Mom. Come on."_

 _"I'm just_ _saying_ _the truth. I'm pretty sure you will have a lot of gods lining_ _before_ _your door."_

I laughed. _"Maybe. But_ _I_ _think they will just be wasting their time."_

 _"What do you mean?"_ She asked. _"Are_ _you_ _not planning to get married?"_

 _"Mom! I'm just sixteen!"_

 _"You're a goddess, dear. Age is not matter of_ _concern_ _to us."_

 _"Well..."_ I looked at my hands. _"The thing is...Wait? Why are we_ _talking_ _about this this early?"_

 _"Dear..."_ She placed a hand on my shoulder. _"If you wanted to be like the other goddesses,_ _I_ _don't mind. Actually, I will be more in peace if you're not tied down to_ _some_ _womanizer god. If anyone tried to make advances_ _on_ _you, I_ _will_ _throw them to Tartarus."_

 _"Thanks, Mom."_ I smiled appreciatively.

She nodded. A knock came by the door. Mom called out to enter. The golden doors opened and a goddess whose eyes reminded me of Annabeth entered. I suddenly felt longing to see my friends at camp. She bowed and fixed her stormy grey eyes on us.

 _"_ _Forgive_ _me for the sudden interruption but all_ _Olympians_ _are being called for an urgent_ _meeting_ _."_

 _"I see."_ Mom said. _"Please go ahead, Athena. I will just follow shortly."_

 _"Very well, then."_ Athena bowed. She looked at me. _"It is a relief to see you recovering nicely. It will, at the very least, a good news to all despite the_ _situation_ _were in."_

 _"Uhh...yeah. Glad to know."_ I'm not sure how to answer to her.

 _"I will go ahead."_ Athena went out and closed the doors behind her.

Mom stood up and flattened her robes. _"How do I looked like?"_

 _"Gorgeous."_ I answered, smiling.

 _"Happy to_ _hear_ _that."_ She held my hands on last time. _"I know you're worried but please, take it easy for now. It won't do you good if you're not in a good condition. Just a little more rest and you'll be fine. Alright?"_

I nodded grimly. _"Yeah."_

She kissed my forehead. _"I will see you later. Rest for now."_

She walked to the doors and glanced at me one last time before closing them. Alexios, who had been listening quietly the whole time, placed his head on my lap, a worried look was casted on his eyes.

I rubbed my hand on his head. _"Don't worry. I'm sure they're doing fine."_

Afternoon passed then, night came. I slept through the rest of the morning and the whole afternoon. The hearth and the braziers lighted and warmed the room. I walked at the glass doors and opened it. Fresh breeze carrying the smell of wet earth and wild flowers greeted me. I walked in the balcony. Alexios followed me.

The stars shone above and the moon bright and full. I could see the beautiful sparkling lights of Olympus. Even from far away, I could see the shining auras of gods and goddesses and hear their cheerful chatters as they walked at the streets. Wonderful beasts of different kinds strode gracefully around. Chariots flew above. Once, I saw Artemis' chariot riding up the night sky. Nymphs and satyrs were all around. One cloud nymph waved at me. I waved back. Flickering lights floated midair like fireflies. It was very beautiful. More beautiful than I've ever seen. Despite the danger lurking nearby, Olympus was bright and active though I could feel tension beneath this happy facade. It made me think that gods are not so different from humans. They, too, tried their best to become happy even during times of trouble.

I was listening to the music of some satyr playing when I heard a cough behind. I looked behind my shoulder and saw a god standing by the golden doors. I could feel his nervousness loud and clear. He stepped into a brighter view. His appearance came into clear view. He has thick, bushy beard the color of grey clouds. His hair is a bit long. He has electric blue eyes. The same as mine, Jason's, and Thalia's. He was wearing a blue suit with a red necktie. On his lapel, read the name _Zeus._

He cleared his throat. _"Umm...hello..."_

I looked away, suppressing my mixed feelings. _"What do you want? Don't you want me captured? Well, here_ _I_ _am. What else do you want?"_ My voice must have come out harsher than I intended it to be. I swore I felt him wince and the sadness he's feeling.

I heard him approaching. I scooted closer to Alexios who placed his head on my palm.

 _"That's close enough."_ I said firmly. He stopped at his tracks. Guessing by his footsteps, he was standing by the glass doors.

 _"My daughter...I-"_

I turned around. _"Don't call me that!"_ I hissed. _"I know what you did! I know you know who am I!"_

Zeus' face looked worn out. _"Yes...Phanes, the protogenoi of life and the First King..."_

 _"So? Are you going to devour me, too? Just to keep gaining power? How greedy can you be?"_ I asked defiantly. I turned back to the opposite direction. _"Tch. So much for a king."_

 _"Ariacalyssa, please listen to_ _me_ _even for the moment. I know_ _I_ _did_ _a lot of horrible_ _things_ _not just to you but also to_ _others_ _. I know_ _I_ _have a lot of flaws."_

 _"Good for_ _you_ _to realize."_ I talked back.

 _"But_ _I_ _swore to the River Styx,_ _I_ _never knew about what your mother and the Fates planned. If_ _I_ _did,_ _I_ _wouldn't_ _have_ _drove you to the edge."_

 _"But you didn't knew. You never_ _tried_ _to learn the truth. So_ _much_ _for_ _a father."_

 _"I know. I know. I'm a_ _terrible_ _father. But_ _I_ _tell you, when you were missing,_ _I_ _went far and wide to look for you. To reunite with you."_

 _"Are you trying to appease yourself? To make yourself think you, at least, did a father thing? Don't bother. That won't settle the score."_

 _"Yes. You're right."_ He said sadly. _"That's why I'm here. I'm here to beg for your forgiveness."_ I heard shuffling. I looked over my shoulder and almost jumped out my skin. He was on his knees. The king of cosmos was pleading on his knees.

 _"W...What are you doing?!_ _You_ _got to be kidding me!"_ I gasped. _"Stand up!_ _"_

 _"I won't stand up until you have forgiven me."_ He said firmly. His eyes fixed in mine. Electric blue.

 _"I won't forgive you if you don't stand up!"_ I warned.

He stood up hesitantly. I looked away. I couldn't meet his eyes or else he would see the mixed feelings I had for him.

I sighed. _"You know deep inside_ _I_ _will never forgive_ _you f_ _or what_ _you_ _did_ _to Phanes."_ I said. _"And as the god of justice,_ _you_ _know_ _very_ _well_ _that you must pay the proper and full price of your_ _crime_ _."_

Distraught filled his face. " _Yes..._ _I_ _understand."_

 _"But that is not for_ _me_ _to_ _judge_ _...it was Phanes'. Phanes and I are not one. I'm simply the bearer of his will. No more. No less. Thus,_ _I_ _must not longer bear that past sin. I will forgive you."_

His face lighted up. _"My daugh-"_

I raised my hand. _"I'm not done yet. I hope you haven't forgotten about your wrongdoing...to me, to my mother, to Apollo and Artemis, and to Atè."_

His face became shocked.

 _"I will only speak for both Atè and me. The others, you must consult them. You must grant one and only_ _one_ _request_ _from_ _them."_ I continued. _"I want you to give Atè back her place here in Olympus and_ _all_ _the privileges that come with it. As_ _for_ _me,"_ I smirked. _"That will be quite a list. You forgot to give me my gifts for my seventeen birthdays."_

His face lightened a bit. A small smile tugged at his lips. _"Yeah..._ _I_ _guess_ _I_ _did. I apologize for that."_

 _"Swear to the_ _River_ _Styx then."_

 _"I swear to the River Styx to do as_ _you said."_

I smiled. _"You're forgiven, then."_

Zeus walked to me and wrapped his arms around me. I flinched in surprise. He smelled of ozone and fresh air. His touch was both warm and cool. _"Thank you...and I'm sorry. All_ _I_ _want you_ _to_ _know for now is that I missed you so much and...I love you with all of my heart. You are not_ _Phanes_ _. You are you. You are my daughter."_

My face became flushed but I let him hug me. Deep inside, I was very happy. _"You're annoying. How many times have you said to your other children and girlfriends?"_

 _"I guessed...a lot."_ He frowned.

 _"Then, don't say the same thing to me. I_ _hate_ _it."_

 _"Is_ _that_ _one of your seventeen wishes?"_

I let go. I crossed my arms and flashed him an unimpressed look. _"Ha ha ha. Very funny."_

He smiled. _"Did_ _I_ _tell you_ _I'm_ _good at jokes? That's one of the reasons why_ _I_ _managed to win your mother's heart."_

 _"Tell me_ _someday_ _then. If you have the time."_ I said.

 _"How about after all these troubles? I will make sure_ _I_ _have a day off."_

 _"Deal!"_ I grinned.

He grew quiet. He looked at his hands, not sure what to say. _"I'm happy..._ _I_ _never felt this way for a long time. I wished it would stay like this forever."_

 _"It can."_ I said softly.

He placed his hands on my shoulders. _"My daughter, I'm proud of you._ _I_ _know you will make a great Olympian. When that day comes, will you stand by my side?"_

My heart leaped in joy but I didn't let it show. I gave a small bow. _"I would be very honored to, Milord."_

He looked at me fondly. _"Thank you."_ He looked up, watching the stars up ahead. _"You should rest for now."_

I nodded. _"Yeah..."_

 _"Well then...Good night."_ He gently squeezed my shoulders and patted Alexios on the head before walking away. As he opened the doors, I spoke up.

 _"Good night...Dad."_

He stopped and glanced at me. He smiled. I could feel the happiness welling up inside him. I watched as he slowly closed the doors.

Alexios bumped me by ribs. _You're happpppppyy~_

 _"Will you stop bursting my bubble?"_ I protested.

 _Fineeee._ _But admit it, you're happy._

 _"I'm not."_ I exclaimed.

 _You are. You're smiling._ He teased.

 _"Whatever. I'm going to sleep. If you're just going to tease me, you will be staying outside."_

 _Aaaawwww. You meanie!_

I watched Olympus for the last time.

 _My purpose is here..._ _and_ _to_ _the world_ _below_ _._

I closed the doors and went to sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 - Oh, Snap! Aphrodite Got Scolded.**

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~Trisha Ledger's POV~

* * *

The news yesterday really got the whole camp buzzing. Until now, you could hear campers talking about it and coming up incredulous theories about why Chiron told us so little about it. We all know that Nico and Chiron were keeping something to us and the expressions of those in the war council after their meeting got the whole camp more curious. I haven't seen Nico lately and head counselors spoke nothing about their previous meeting, even Clarisse herself. I tried asking Clarisse what transpired in their meeting but she simply passed by me back to her cabin. All of them were like that, quiet and distant. Of course, except for some. You know which people I speak of.

That night, I stayed by Hestia's hearth instead of joining others in the amphitheater. I just don't feel singing nor engaging with any activities with others. I wrapped my arms around my knees and watched the flames flickered. Once or twice, caught glimpses of wolves, courtesy of the Hunters of Artemis, patrolling the woods and Half-Blood Hill. I closed my eyes, barely listening to the loud singing coming from the amphitheater.

 _"Something bothering you dear?"_ A woman's voice spoke beside me.

I half-opened my eyes but I didn't look at the person beside me. _"Yeah...I guess."_ I answered half-heartedly.

 _"Oh. That seemed pretty heavy. I wonder what that is?"_

 _"I'm sure that it is something that doesn't concern you."_ I answered.

 _"_ _Really_ _?"_ Her voice sounded shocked. _"If_ _I'm_ _being honest,_ _I_ _think it's the other way around. Though, such things never concern me before."_

 _"Maybe it's so nice to be ignorant."_ I said as I picked up a stick and began scribbling nonsense lines on the ground.

 _"Indeed. You are right. You don't worry. You don't get hurt. You don't fuss over the_ _smallest_ _details. You don't give a care to the world. Truly, ignorance is a bliss."_

I chuckled. _"I guessed that goes for gods too."_ I said. _"They keep on creating mortal_ _copies_ _of_ _themselves_ _to deal with their_ _enemies_ _while they simply enjoy their immortal lives, not_ _even_ _bothering to check on them._ _Once_ _those_ _mortals_ _' roles were over,_ _they_ _got thrown away and_ _forgotten_ _."_ I laughed without humour. _"They should put the gods as the_ _description_ _of the word ignorance in the_ _dictionary_ _._ _Perhaps_ _, add selfish. That would be nice."_

 _"True, but, aren't they're your parents?"_

 _"Don't make me laugh!"_ The stick snapped with a sickening _CRACK! "What kind of parents let their children fend for their own and fight against their own_ _enemies_ _?!"_ I tightened my jaw. _"Parents_ _like_ _that should never had existed at all."_

The atmosphere got silent. I threw the broken stick to the fire and watched it burn. The flames rose higher, dancing against the darkness.

 _"Trisha Lyra Ledger."_ The woman spoke up, carefully pronouncing my name. I flinched when she said my full name. _"What a beautiful name!_ _I_ _could still remember the time when_ _Niel_ _insisted_ _me to give you your name."_

My heart stopped when she said my father's name. I slowly turned, hoping and praying that it was just a dream. But in the end, my eyes failed me and so does my ears.

 _"You...you're..."_

Her flawless skin shone against the firelight. Her long blonde hair was tied into an elegant chignon with a single opened red rose. A black choker with a silver circular pendant was on her neck. She was wearing a simple pink sleeved dress with a ruffled skirt trimmed with gold reaching down past her knees. Brown laced sandals decorated her feet up to her legs. Her baby blue eyes looked at me. Her smile reflecting mine.

 _"He gave you your name Trisha. Something fitting for a strong princess of his. I gave you your name Lyra. A name that bears_ _symbol_ _to the beautiful_ _melodies_ _you create. Do you still remember?"_

I looked away. It pains me to see her. I reminded myself that that wasn't her true appearance. Her appearance depends on the person's preference. I hate how deceiving she can get. Is this how she got my father's heart?

 _"Does it matter for you to know?"_ I asked. _"After all, you can't face anyone without making them see what they want to see. I don't think it matters to you. Ability or not...the_ _bottom line_ _is that it is_ _deception_ _."_

 _"Dear,_ _I_ _know the hatred you harbored at me and the pain you felt through all these years."_ Aphrodite said. _"It is hard to admit but_ _obvious to_ _see that we immortals are not exactly attentive parents. Yet, we continually look after our children and offer our help the best way we can."_

 _"For how many times?"_ I asked. _"When we did something to be proud of? When you were asking for favors? Do you only look after us if we did something beneficial to you? How many times have you looked at each children you ever had?"_

Aphrodite became quiet.

I stood up. _"I don't care whatever you say. That doesn't prove any!_ _The_ _gods might have been going through_ _their_ _claiming promise, but that doesn't change anything. Prove to us that at least, you can be parent to us in exchange for the risks we've gambled for your name. Then, perhaps,"_ I met her eyes. _"T_ _he_ _score_ _could be settled."_

I walked away, leaving Aphrodite behind.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 - I Want To Adopt George and Martha**

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

The next morning, I decided to take a look around my mother's apartment. Thinking is one thing, doing is another. True to what Apollo said, the security was very tight. Going out of my room was quite hard, considering I have two Olympian gods of war outside the door. Other than that, the two have a very bad blood between them. The only way to get them to allow me was to let them accompany me, which I tell you, is not a good idea. Alexios decided to stay inside the room because of that. The two kept bickering along the way. _Talk about_ _some_ _childish_ _argument_ _between two adult major gods._

Everywhere I looked, I saw guards stationed around. Most were gods while some were satyrs, centaurs, and nymphs. They greeted me with some honorifics which I find quite uncomfortable. Definitely not my thing.

I stopped by a hallway filled with one wall of glass overlooking the central building of Olympus. _The Palace of Olympus._ It is the home of my father and where all council meetings are held. I stared at it, wondering what Dad were up to. I haven't even seen Mom since yesterday. I looked away as Ares and Athena continued bickering.

 _"I hate this! Why am_ _I_ _babysitting?"_

 _"Then, leave! Let's see what Father would do to you if he found out you didn't followed his order."_

 _"IF he finds out!"_

 _"Oh? Aren't we too confident? Perhaps, you're forgot about me?"_

 _"Damn you, Athena! I will kill you-"_

 _"You can't do that. I'm immortal."_

 _"Hades! I will throw you to Tartarus!"_

 _"Says the coward god."_

 _"_ _WHAT_ _DID YOU SAY?!"_

 _"I SAID YOU'RE A BIG, CHILDISH, COWARD, SIMPLE-MINDED MORON!"_

I didn't know what happened next because I was already running away, using their situation to my advantage. I imagined them whopping each other's heads by now. Leave it to the immortals to decapitate each other.

I slowed down to walking when I'm sure I was at a good distance away from them. I emerged at a wide semicircular marble landing with two grand staircases overlooking a grand ballroom. Chandeliers made of gold and diamonds hung above. At the opposite below was a huge golden double doors. Remember when I said I'm just going to look _inside?_ Well, better forget that. I changed my mind. I looked around. There were about four guards on the landing I'm on and six below. So, you maybe thinking, _Do you have a plan?_ Answer: Nope. I don't have any. _That's suicidal,_ _I_ _know._

I casually walked down the stairs at my left and approached the doors. I got out... _almost._ The two guards by the doors stopped me.

 _"I'm sorry but we cannot let you go out unaccompanied."_

 _"What? Why?"_

 _"Zeus' orders."_

 _"I'm just going out for a walk. I've been stuck here for days! I won't go far."_ I insisted.

 _"Sorry. But orders are orders. If we don't do it, we're doomed."_

 _"Ugh! This is nuts!"_ I complained.

 _"Let her go."_ A voice spoke from behind.

I turned around and immediately, I got a clue who spoke up. I remembered the twins back at camp when I looked at the god's smile.

 _"But sir-"_

 _"I_ _will_ _accompany her."_ Hermes said. _"I will take full responsibility if something happened while she's out."_

The two guards looked at each other before surrendering. They opened the doors.

Hermes smiled at me. _"Let's go."_

I simply followed him but not before making faces at the two guards.

The sunlight blinded me for a brief moment. As soon as my eyes adjusted, I took in my surroundings. Lush greenery lined with buildings of different kinds were scattered on the mountainous landscape. The Olympian Palace gleamed the biggest and most magnificent at the very top. Clouds surrounded Olympus but never touching. Streets were filled just like the days before. Eagles and chariots circled above. The wind was fresh and cool, carrying with it the scent of the earth.

 _"A walk is not a walk without the actual walking."_ Hermes said. _"Where do you want to go?"_

 _"Well,"_ I scratched the back of my head. _"I don't know much of the place. What's your recommendation?"_

 _"If_ _I_ _were you,_ _I_ _won't ask him."_ A hissing voice said.

I looked at Hermes' caduceus and almost jumped out of my skin.

Hermes chuckled. _"Sorry about that."_ He lifted up his staff. _"Meet my trusty assistants. This is George and this is Martha."_

 _"Nice to meet you."_ Martha said.

 _"Umm...nice to meet you_ _too_ _."_

 _"Do you have a rat?"_ George asked.

 _"_ _No_. _Sorry._ "

 _"Too bad."_ George flicked his tongue in disappointment.

 _"You should_ _apologize_ _to her, George. You nearly gave her the heart attack."_ Martha scolded.

 _"What? She won't die to a heart attack. She's a goddess!"_

 _"Oh no. She's not yet. You forgot she became mortal."_

 _"Oh...right."_ George remembered. _"Sorry about that."_

I smiled softly _._ _"Don't worry about it."_

 _"Speaking of which, why don't we tour her around Olympus? That would be better."_ Martha suggested.

 _"You're right."_ Hermes nodded. He turned to me. _"How about it?"_

 _"That's a great idea!"_ I grinned.

 _"Well then, let's go!"_ George cheered.

The tour went by smoothly as the shifting of the day and night. Hermes introduced me to some gods and goddesses and pointed out remarkable places and infrastructures in Olympus. He had me taste some mortal dishes with an Olympian twist though I have to refrain from eating too much to prevent combusting. He let me ride his chariot to see the aerial view of Olympus. It was fun with Hermes as a tour guide and George and Martha as side commentators. As we flew above Olympus, we talked a bit.

 _"So, what do you say about Olympus?"_ Hermes asked curiously.

 _"Godly magnificent!"_ I grinned.

 _"Your choice of praise words were quite unexpected."_ He laughed in amusement. _"Though, for mortals, you're quite the luckiest. No one had explored Olympus as much as you did."_

I chuckled. _"I guessed you're right. I am quite lucky._

A moment of silence. We quietly watched the bustling Olympus below. I closed my eyes, feeling the wind touching my face and combing through my hair.

He spoke up. His voice turned quiet. _"Ariacalyssa."_

 _"_ _Hmmm_ _?"_

 _"After all of these, what are you planning to do?"_

I opened my eyes. I watched the sun slowly sinking down the horizon. _"I planned to do a lot of things."_ I said. _"When I was in Tartarus, I met my predecessor just before he completely faded away. Back then,_ _I_ _was very_ _fragile_ _and frustrated. I let Tartarus played with my_ _emotions_ _to_ _point_ _I_ _wanted to join him fight_ _against_ _Olympus_ _."_

 _"You've got to be kidding me!"_ George exclaimed.

Martha hushed him to keep quiet but I could feel her and Hermes' surprise.

I laughed, thinking how foolish I am back then. _"I would if Nyx didn't come and whisked me away."_ I turned to face them and I smiled sadly. _"I'm very weak and foolish back then, weren't_ _I_ _?"_

The three remained quiet, watching and listening to me intently.

I looked down, tracing my finger on the chariot's etchings. _"That's when Phanes appeared. He confronted me and helped clear my doubts. He told me the truth. The reason why he_ _allowed_ _such horrible fate to happen to him._ _The reason why_ _I_ _existed_ _in_ _the first place_. _"_ I inhaled. _"He willingly_ _opened_ _the gate for my_ _existence_ _because he believed_ _I_ _can help better the world's future."_ I looked up. My voice firm and determined. _"And that's what_ _I'm_ _going to do. I will guide the world to a new age of light and goodness, for both immortal and mortal."_ I met their eyes. _"That's what I'm going to do. That's what my purpose is."_

 _"I see."_ Hermes smiled brightly. His eyes twinkled with admiration. He held out his hand. _"Then, let me assist you. Though it may take very long and forever,_ _I_ _would gladly help you achieve that."_

I took his hand and smiled. _"I will be_ _honored_ _to, Lord Hermes."_

We shook hands.

Our hands separated. He looked over at the Olympian Palace. _"It seemed Artemis is getting ready to raise the moon. We should go back._ _Her_ _Majesty might be already_ _worrying_ _about you."_

 _"Yeah."_ I nodded.

Hermes spurred the chariot downward back to mom's apartment. As soon as we landed, we were greeted by a very grumpy god.

 _"_ _Where_ _were you?!"_ He asked angrily. _"I don't have time to play hide-and-seek, Hermes! Father has called a meeting. He said it was very urgent."_

 _"Calm down, Dionysus."_ Hermes chided as he went out of the chariot. He held my hand to help me out. _"I just gave our youngest sister a tour around Olympus."_

He looked at me up and down, like he was deciding what to make of me. In the end, he decided to turn around and walk away. _"Hmph! I will go ahead. Make sure you're not late."_

 _"Of_ _course_ _!"_ Hermes smirked. _"That would be a piece of cake."_

We waited until Dionysus was out of sight. Hermes leaned in and whispered. _"Forgive Dionysus. He's in a bad mood ever since he got banned from drinking_ _alcoholics_ _."_

 _"Isn't he the director of Camp Half-Blood? I haven't seen him even once in my stay there."_ I asked.

 _"Yeah. The Olympian Council was quite busy this past weeks_ _and_ _will be expected_ _to_ _be busier this incoming weeks before the war itself."_ He said apologetically. _"Good thing_ _our_ _tour got into one of my rare_ _free times_ _. Free times are quite rare this time around."_

 _"I see."_ I nodded in understanding. I glanced at the Olympian Palace and back at Hermes. _"Would it be a bother if_ _I_ _go with you?"_

 _"Well..."_ He scratched his beard, considering my request. _"I'm not so sure. Father may not be angry if_ _I_ _bring you there...but...he too may not be pleased of you being there without being a proper Olympian."_

 _"Well,_ _I_ _could stay out of sight and hide my presence if necessary. You know, like, I don't exist. But_ _I_ _haven't perfected it yet when_ _I_ _used it against Tartarus. Maybe I could now."_ I said.

Hermes' eyes went wide. _"You can do that?!"_

I nodded, cheeks flushed.

 _"Well, if that so. What are we waiting for? Let's go!"_ Hermes took my hand and we vanished into bright light.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26 - Imma Sneakin' In the Olympian Meeting**

* * *

~Leo Valdez's POV~

* * *

 _"HOLY HEPHAESTUS! I'M_ _SOOOOOOO_ _NERVOUS! I CAN'T KEEP CA-OWWW!"_

 _"SHUT UP, LEO!"_ Rachel scolded.

 _"That hurts!"_ I whined as I rubbed the side of my head where the infamous blue hairbrush hit. _"Can't you throw things other than that hairbrush?"_

 _"Would you like me to throw this_ _ping pong_ _table to you?"_ Rachel said, patting the table beside her.

I tugged at Jason's shirt. _"Jasooooon! Bro! Look! Rachel's bullying me!"_

Jason gave me a stern look. _"Leo, get a hold of yourself."_

 _"Wha? Not you too!"_ I slumped on my seat. _"Why is everyone sooo tense today? Loosen up a_ _bit_ _, people!"_

 _"Leo, keep quiet."_ Piper commanded.

 _"Yes, Ma'am."_ I moved my fingers on my lips like I was closing a zipper. As always, Piper's charmspeak was too strong to resist. I always got this sinking feeling that if Piper ordered me to eat my vegetables, I will _definitely_ do as she said. I shivered at the thought.

After the ruckus yesterday, here we are again in the recreation room. The atmosphere today was worse than yesterday. It was too quiet that it made my Leo nerves go berserk. I was about to snap and give everyone a piece of my mind when the door opened and Chiron entered in _full_ centaur form. _This_ is just my theory but I think he thought that his true form was necessary to _stomp us down silent_ in case we went into riot mode. Sure enough, everyone became worked up as soon as they Chiron set hoof inside the room. Good thing he _didn't_ decided to stomp his hoof on us rather the floor. Everyone became silent.

 _"I know everyone was eager to know the full details but, before that,_ _I_ _want you all to calm down and listen first."_ Chiron said. He looked at each of us. _"I will tell you all what happened. Nico will help fill you up too."_ He gestured at Nico who nodded back. _"As we tell you,_ _I_ _want you to put aside your questions for the later and listen well. This will absolutely come as a shock but, there is_ _nothing_ _we can do. This is the truth. We can't change it. Do you_ _understand_ _?"_

I raised my hand.

 _"What is it, Mr. Valdez?"_ Chiron asked.

 _"Can_ _I_ _get my popcorn? I think this will take a-OOWWW!"_

 _"Shut it, Valdez or I will kill you next time."_ Clarisse threatened.

 _"Man! Do you have to punch me?! I mean, come on! I know you girls love me but you have to restrain. I have a girlfriend. WHOA!"_

I jumped away as Clarisse began to charge at me. Luckily, Will and the guys stopped her. Piper pulled me between her and Annabeth. It seemed Piper planned to make me keep quiet by putting me between one who can charmspeak and one who will highly smack me if I made a bad joke. But I will tell you, it take more than that to stop Leo Valdez.

 _"Leo, be a good boy or I will tell Calypso."_ Piper warned. Annabeth simply gave me a look that easily says, _Keep quiet or I will kill you._ I decided to value my life. I experienced enough dying and near-dying for a lifetime. I will tell you. _IT IS NOT_ _PLEASANT_ _._

Chiron waited for us to settle down before speaking. _"Before_ _I_ _continue_ _,_ _I_ _would like you to at least keep whatever we are going talk_ _about_ _here for a time being? I'm afraid, it's still premature for the whole camp to know about this. Do you_ _understand_ _?"_

We all nodded grimly including (and surprisingly the Stoll twins).

 _"Very well then."_ Chiron said. _"Let us begin."_

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

We appeared in one of the hallways connecting to the throne room. I took a peek inside and saw the other Olympians in their Titanic forms already settling down on their thrones. Mom was already there but Dad was nowhere to be found. Of course, Hermes' seat was empty. Why not? He's with me. I withdrew back into the recesses of the hallway.

 _"Now, listen."_ Hermes whispered. _"Do your invisibility-anti-presence-detection-radar-power-ability. Make sure_ _you_ _don't get found out. I will get you as soon as the meeting ended. Alright?"_

 _"That's a long name."_ George complained. _"Could you make up something shorter?"_

 _"George!"_ Martha reprimanded.

 _"What? Just saying."_

 _"I understand."_ I nodded.

 _"Then,_ _I_ _will be off. Wait for me here."_ Hermes said. I gave him an okay sign and he walked casually in the throne room. He grew bigger before sitting down on his throne.

I leaned my back on the wall and inhaled. _This is it. No turning back now._ I willed myself to be completely invisible, rendering all senses blind (Phanes bestowed me the ability. It's actually one of his unique powers. Though I just managed to make perfect full use of it just now), and sneaked inside the throne room. I hid behind a pillar just as my father entered the room. His voice boomed throughout the room like thunder. I had to cover my ears in my current size. _For the sake of Olympus, Dad! Lower your voice!_ I creeped closer though I might as well be in danger of being permanently deaf. I just don't care.

 _"Things are not quite looking up on us."_ Dad said. His face seemed to grow older. The lines on his face, more prominent than I remembered. He seemed pretty worn out. _"Multitudes of monsters had began to_ _gather_ _in different places around Camp Half-Blood, apparently making sure there will be no escape."_

 _"What do you think Tartarus was planning?"_ Hestia asked in deep concern.

 _"He's planning to attack the camp. It's only the logical answer."_ Athena answered, looking up from polishing her spear. _"With all of the demigods gathered in one place, this is the perfect question that remains was when he is_ _planning_ _to attack?"_

 _"Unfortunately, we do not have any_ _information_ _about that."_ Artemis said.

My eyes widened in shock. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. _Tartarus_ _was_ _cornering them in one place?!_ Then, I remembered what Atè said to me back then.

' _Within_ _seven_ _days_ _time_ _, a huge horde of monsters will surround the remaining camp and attack_ _it_ _._ _The interesting part?_ _It's simply for provocation. Tartarus wants to provoke the_ _Olympian_ _gods by_ _committing_ _mass murder of their mortal_ _children_.'

I gasped in horror. _How long has it been?_ Apollo said that I've been out for three days. I have been completing my recovery for two days. I could only guessed that one day had passed here on the surface after she told me thay in Tartarus. _How long has it been since Atè told me that dire news?_ For a moment, I remembered what Atè said when we met her while touring Olympus. After thanking me for accomplishing our deal, she left those words which I didn't understand until now. I could still remember how curled her lips were in a smile and how her eyes twinkled darkly.

 _"Are you ready for tomorrow?"_

 _This is bad! Very bad!_ I had to tell Dad as soon as possible or else...there will no longer be any camp nor demigods and worse, we will lose control of the war. I was about to blow my cover when Athena spoke up.

 _"That's not the only problem we have."_ Athena said. _"The demigods were_ _unstable_ _right now. They have quite a lot of_ _conflicts_ _at their hands right now."_

 _"Other than that, the endless assaults these previous days left them with very thin resources and many injured. One more massive attack and it will result into the camp's fall."_ She added.

 _"We have to support our children as soon as possible."_ Poseidon suggested. _"_ _Send them_ _resources_ _and help in the_ _front lines_ _._ _You know that this is not just_ _their_ _battle, brother. This is also ours."_

 _"Indeed. I agree with Poseidon."_ Mom said. _"Though, I don't have much fondness with demigods,_ _especially_ _if they're my husband's_ _illegitimate_ _children. Yet,_ _I_ _agree in helping them._ _After all, seven of them_ _did me a job well-done_ _. It is only_ _righteous_ _I_ _support them as my_ _chosen_ _heroes."_

 _"Other than that,"_ Demeter said. _"They had serve Olympus quite well. It is hard to admit it but_ _they_ _also saved us many times already."_ The others nodded in agreement.

 _"Then,"_ Dad said. _"How many here agree to help the half-bloods? Raise your hands."_

All hands rose up.

 _"All members of the Olympian Council agrees to help the demigods. The verdict shall_ _be_ _firm and binding."_ Dad announced. _"Now, let us discuss the tasks at hand."_

I slunk back to the hallway where I waited for the meeting to end. A lot of things had been running in my mind. But only one took the highest priority.

 _Protect my friends and their home._

The meeting stretched up to more than three hours. As soon as the meeting was finished, Hermes pretended to leave but instead, teleported where am I. I stood up from where I'm sitting and walked toward him.

 _"Sorry that it took long than I expected."_ Hermes apologized. _"To be honest,_ _I_ _feared that it may took longer than that."_

 _"I didn't mind though."_ I said.

Hermes must have noticed the hidden emotion behind my voice. _"Is there something troubling you?"_ He asked in concern.

I inhaled. _"_ _Yeah_ _. Something concerning Tartarus' plan to attack Camp Half-Blood."_ I met his eyes, letting terror take over my voice. _"I fear that_ _it_ _will happen by the time dawn comes_ _tomorrow_ _."_


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27 - So Like, We're In War Again?**

* * *

Hermes stared at me with shocked eyes. _"Tomorrow?! At dawn?!"_

I nodded grimly. _"When_ _I_ _was in Tartarus,_ _I_ _sent Atè to gather intel about Tartarus' plans. One of them was to_ _gather_ _all demigods together and kill them to provoke Olympus."_

 _"No way!"_ George gasped.

 _"_ _Remember when he_ _destroyed_ _Camp Jupiter?"_ I asked. _"He did that in purpose, to force the Romans to flee to the Greek camp. His plans was already set into motion. We fell into a trap and it is going to cost_ _us_ _much_ _."_

 _"If what the girl was saying is true, then, we must report this immediately to the council!"_ Martha said.

 _"Indeed!"_ Hermes agreed. _"Come with me, Ariacalyssa! We must tell this to Father at once!"_

I nodded. I followed him to the throne room. When we entered the throne room, only a few of the Olympians had remained. All of them returned to adult mortal sizes. We approached them.

 _"Lord Zeus! I bear terrible news!"_ Hermes said.

They turned at our direction. I could still see my parents' surprised look to see me in the throne room.

 _"What is happening_ _here_ _, Hermes?"_ Dad demanded. _"Why is Ariacalyssa here?"_

 _"Dad!_ _Now's not the_ _time_ _!"_ I exclaimed. _"_ _Tartarus_ _is going to attack Camp Half-Blood by dawn tomorrow. We have to help them!"_

They looked at us with shocked faces.

 _"What did you say?!"_ Athena gasped. _"Tartarus is going to attack the camp tomorrow?!"_

 _"Indeed."_ Hermes nodded. _"And he intend to finish the mortal_ _Olympian_ _blood for eternity."_

 _"This is horrible!"_ Hestia exclaimed. _"Unthinkable!"_

 _"This is Tartarus we're talking about."_ Athena said. _"_ _There's_ _no second thoughts that he will possibly resort to this kind of tactic."_

Mom placed a hand on my shoulder. _"Are you certain, my dear?"_

I nodded. _"Yes."_

Hera turned to Zeus. _"My husband?"_

 _"Call all Olympians!_ _Alert Chiron!_ _Tell all of them to prepare for a battle! "_ Dad commanded.

Hermes saluted. _"Yes, sir!"_ He vanished into a bright light.

 _"Athena, prepare our battle strategies. As soon as all Olympians were gathered, give us a quick go over."_

 _"Yes, Father."_

 _"Hestia. Tell all of Olympus to keep their guard up while we're away._

 _"Yes, Milord."_

He turned to my mother. _"Hera, bring Ariacalyssa back to your apartment. Make sure she's safe before_ _we_ _depart."_

 _"Very well, Milord."_ Mom nodded.

 _"Wait? What?! You're going to leave me here?"_ I asked.

 _"Yes."_ Dad nodded. _"For your safety."_

 _"No way_ _I_ _will agree to that!"_ I protested. _"I will_ _come_ _with you, one way or another!"_

 _"Tartarus wanted you, my daughter! We can't risk you into_ _falling_ _into his hands again!"_ He defended.

 _"I won't! I promise!"_

 _"I refuse! Your true blood hasn't fully returned yet. I cannot let_ _you_ _go into battle in your_ _situation_ _right_ _now."_ He said sternly.

 _"Listen to your father, dear."_ Mom persuaded. _"It's for the best."_

 _"No!"_ I said firmly. _"I had enough having someone telling me what is the best for me. I'm going and that's that."_ Then, I remembered something. I smirked. _"If you're going to keep on stopping me, I might as well get one of seventeen wishes granted then."_

Dad looked at me with shock and anger.

 _"What wishes?"_ Mom asked. _"Wait?! Don't tell me you agreed to this, Zeus?!"_

 _"I want my freedom."_ I said firmly. _"I don't want to get bound by any rules nor commands. I walk my own path. I decide my own decisions."_ I met his gaze. _"You know very well you can't refuse. A promise made through the River Styx is forever binding."_

I held my ground. Our eyes stayed fixed at each other. Electric blue to electric blue. Father against daughter. No matter what, I will win.

 _"Zeus! You can't possibly agree to this!"_ Mom exclaimed.

Dad broke his gaze. He massaged his temples. _"I'm sorry but_ _I_ _must_ _oblige_ _. I swore to_ _the_ _River Styx."_

He looked at me wearily. _"You will get what you_ _asked_ _for. You_ _will_ _get your freedom. No rule nor command binds you. You will freely walk your path and decide your own decisions."_

 _"Yes!"_ I jumped in happiness.

 _"Don't celebrate too much, Ariacalyssa."_ Dad said. _"Freedom has a price. There will be consequences."_

 _"Nah. I'm fine, Dad."_ I said, waving my hand. _"I'm not completely free. Yes, I'm no longer bound by any rules nor commands but my duties remain. What am I without a purpose?"_

Dad chuckled. _"It_ _seemed_ _you inherited, at the very_ _least_ _, your mother's sense of responsibility."_

 _"And your father's cleverness."_ Mom nodded.

A forgotten thought crossed my mind. _"Oh! I have another request."_ I said.

 _"_ _Another_ _?"_ Dad complained. _"Can't we have one at a time?"_

 _"_ _Definitely_ _not!"_ I said.

 _"Fine. What do you want?"_

 _"I need a weapon. Of course,_ _I_ _couldn't go to battle without one. That will definitely get me into trouble. I want one made by Hephaestus or the Elder_ _Cyclones_ _."_

 _"What weapon do you want?"_

 _"Hmmm..."_ I thought for a moment. _"How about...you choose?"_

 _"What? Why?"_

 _"I couldn't think of any. Any besides, you're the one who's going to see the blacksmiths. I want something that describes me. What do you think when you see me? How would you describe me? Something like that. Surprise me, alright?"_

He scratched his beard, apparently, deep in thought. _"I will think about it."_

 _"And oh! I want to get it just before we leave. I_ _know_ _you can do that. You're my dad, after all."_ I winked.

I took my mother's hand. _"Let's go, Mom. Alexios might be worried about me already."_

 _"_ _Alright_ _. Alright. We will go."_

 _"And...Dad?"_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Thanks a lot. For everything."_

I watched him smile before bright light engulfed us.

* * *

~Percy Jackson's POV~

* * *

I was awoken by a knock at the door in the middle of the night. I rubbed my eyes as a sliver of light slipped through the door as it opened ajar.

 _"_ _Percy_ _!_ _Wake up!"_ A familiar voice urged.

I looked at the figure standing beside my bed. " _Annabeth...?_ _What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"_

 _"Urgent call from Chiron. Hermes came by and gave a quick message."_ She answered.

 _"From Olympus?"_ I asked.

 _"Yeah."_ She nodded. An obvious tinge of disbelief laced her voice. _"_ _It seemed something will happen by tomorrow. I called the others. Let's go."_

I sat up and stretched. _"I will just change-WHOA!"_

 _"No time for that!"_ She dragged me outside of the cabin and toward the Big House.

When we arrived to the Big House, everyone was gathered at the porch. Apparently, it was so urgent that we have no time to have the meeting in the recreation room nor change from our pajamas (or armor, in the case of Clarisse. Bet she slept with that on). I checked my pocket if Riptide was there because everyone else has a weapon or two at hand. I supposed we're expecting a fight since we were awaken at the middle of the night.

I caught Leo at the corner of my eyes. I whistled. _"Nice_ _pajamas_ _, Leo. Did Calypso made that for you?"_

Leo grinned. _"You bet, man! Calypso made this tender loving care. Look how cute these_ _tiny_ _flowers_ _are."_

I snickered. _"Yeah._ _Yeah_ _. You looked great. You know, like a_ _blooming_ _flower."_

I heard Frank and Jason snickered.

 _"Like a_ _blooming_ _flower, eh?"_ Jason laughed.

 _"Yep. You looked_ _great_ _, Valdez."_ Frank said.

 _"_ _Absolutely_ _stunning!"_ Jason added.

 _"Hey! Don't burst my_ _bubble_ _!"_ Leo complained. _"I know you're just jealoooouuus."_ He then, turned around and sauntered toward Piper and Hazel.

 _"Nice_ _pajamas_ _, Valdez!"_ The Stoll twins called out. The three of us bursted into laughter.

Annabeth facepalmed. _"Boys."_

When our laughter died down, I looked around and noticed someone missing. _"Where's Chiron?"_ I asked. _"_ _Isn't this supposed to be an urgent meeting?"_

 _"Chiron will come out shortly."_ Jason answered. _"Hermes is still talking to him inside."_

 _"I hope it's nothing bad."_ Frank said. _"We already got a lot in our hands already."_

I frowned. _"Dude, you know that saying that line will only end up the opposite."_ I said. _"It happen always. One hundred percent._ _Any_ _demigod could prove_ _that_ _."_

 _"Sorry. My bad."_ Frank admitted.

A brief light shone inside the Big House. We fell silent and waited. The door opened and Chiron appeared in full centaur form. His face taut and tired. Immediately, we knew that it was bad news. After the shocking news this afternoon, we learned to expect the most unexpected of all things.

 _"Chiron?"_ Annabeth asked.

He spoke up. Terror filled his voice. _"_ _Hermes_ _brought us a dire news. By dawn, Tartarus' forces will attack the camp without restrain."_

A series of horror filled gasps rippled in the crowd.

 _"What?!"_

 _"You got to be kidding me?!"_

 _"This is bad! Very bad!"_

 _"What should we do?!"_

 _"Are you sure, Chiron?!"_ Butch asked. _"Aren't Olympus just mistaken?!"_

He shook his head. _"No, the gods couldn't make a mistake this time around. If it is indeed a mistake, they wouldn't bother to tell us."_ He said. _"No. I am certain that it is true._ _After_ _all, it was Christine herself who told the gods. Apparently, she sent out some spy to gather intel from the enemy ranks."_

 _"Christine..."_ Hazel mumbled. _"If it's from_ _her_ _, it is worth the trust. After all, she went_ _into_ _Tartarus. It is the enemy' main territory,_ _after_ _all."_

 _"So, what are we_ _going_ _to do?"_ Katie asked. _"Are we going to wake the others up and prepare?"_

 _"No. Not yet."_ Chiron replied. _"We will wake them up two hours before dawn. They must get as much_ _sleep_ _as they can_ _get_ _and so do all of you. We cannot go into battle tired and_ _unfocused_ _._ _As soon as all preparations were made, immediately lead_ _everyone_ _to their battle stations."_

 _"Understood!"_ We all nodded.

 _"For now,"_ Chiron looked at us. _"You should get all the rest you can. We will meet before dawn. Dismiss."_

The war council dispersed but the seven of us decided to stay behind. We approached Chiron. His expression was full of worry and fear.

 _"We know what you're thinking, Chiron."_ Annabeth said. _"This battle is impossible to win, isn't?"_

 _"_ _Indeed_ _."_ Chiron nodded grimly.

" _Yet, we can't go down without_ _any_ _fight."_ I said. _"That would simply be_ _embarrassing_ _."_

 _"True enough!"_ Leo chuckled. _"Imagine_ _having_ _something_ _like that on our_ _gravestones_ _. That would be both_ _embarrassing_ _and_ _depressing_ _."_

 _"We must still try, Chiron."_ Hazel said. _"Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter are like homes_ _to_ _us, demigods. These are the only places where we can be ourselves, where we can feel that we're free and safe."_

 _"Hazel's right."_ Jason nodded. _"We must_ _protect_ _Camp Half-Blood and avenge Camp Jupiter at_ _all_ _costs."_

 _"The resolution of both camps were one and the same."_ Frank added. _"_ _We cannot back down now, especially that we are finally_ _approaching_ _the climax of this_ _war_ _."_

Piper laughed. _"Look at us. I didn't expected we're going to do a pep talk."_

 _"You got that right, Beauty Queen!"_ Leo piped in.

 _"I guessed, the war was starting to get into our nerves, huh?"_ I noted.

 _"At least, seeing Leo_ _in_ _Calypso's handmade pajamas was a good consolation."_ Frank grinned.

 _"You got that right!"_ Jason said. The three of us fist bumped.

 _"Hey!"_

 _"So, Chiron."_ Annabeth said. _"What do you think?"_

Chiron smiled in a fatherly manner. _"Let us do what we can in this war."_

 _"Alright!"_ Piper said. _"Since that's settled. I would like to make a proposal. If we win this war, Jason, Frank, Leo, and Percy are going to treat us."_

 _"W-What?!"_

 _"Oh! That's a great idea, Piper."_ Annabeth agreed.

 _"I wonder where are we going to eat."_ Hazel said.

 _"Wait?! Why us?!"_ I asked.

 _"No fair! How about you girls?!"_ Leo asked.

 _"I'm broke..."_ Jason muttered gravely.

 _"Same. I used up all my allowance..."_ Frank mumbled.

 _"_ _Hehehehe_ _. Boys should treat girls. It's a given."_ Piper said. _"We'll_ _tell_ _you where_ _and_ _when. For now, we got a war to_ _win_ _."_

The three girls walked away, giggling. I turned to Chiron.

 _"You don't happen to have money to spare, don't you,_ _Chiron_ _?"_ I asked.

 _"I'm a centaur."_ He said. _"I train, not give out allowance."_

 _"Right."_

 _"I guess we better start_ _saving_ _up, huh?"_ Frank said.

 _"Yeah..."_ The three of us sighed.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28 - Let's Go and Kick Some Monsters!**

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

Dawn will soon come. I pressed my hand on the window pane, studying my reflection barely imprinted above the scene outside. A lot had changed about me for such a short time. One could easily tell that by just looking at me. I grew taller and my frame became more prominent in features. My braided hair, longer and glossier than before. My eyes became piercer and more shocking, and just like what my mother said, changes color like a kaleidoscope depending on my mood. Alexios mentioned to me that my eyes changed into a darker shade of blue, almost violet, once during my first conversation with my father the night before yesterday. My skin was healthier and the scars I once have had vanished.

I threw the magical black hooded parka over my white tank top. I wore a new pair of jeans and brown combat boots. I checked on belt around my waist where knives made of Celestial Bronze, Imperial Gold, and silver were strapped. A small magical rectangular pouch the size of a cellphone holder, a gift from Hephaestus by the way, which can store objects of any sizes in an unlimited count, was also attached. I adjusted the belt on my thigh where my new weapon was strapped. It was a metallic rod, six inches in length and one inch and a half in width, with carvings and an omega sign on the middle. For now, it is made of Celestial Bronze, but I can will it to change properties if I want to. It can morph into any weapon of my choice. I remembered what my father said when he gave it to me.

 _"I couldn't think of any weapon that best describe you, my daughter. After all, life exists in any form. That's why_ _I_ _decided on this. A weapon_ _that_ _can take in any form just like the nature of your power. You and only you can wield this weapon._ _Take_ _it_ _and bring honor to all of_ _Olympus_ _."_

I inhaled and turned to the dragon waiting behind me. _"Ready?"_ I asked.

 _When did_ _I_ _ever become not ready?_ He said.

 _"Well then, let's go!"_ I pushed the glass doors open and climbed on Alexios.

We flew out and joined the war chariots gathered above Olympus.

* * *

~Nico di Angelo's POV~

* * *

The ill-fated dawn has finally arrived. As the first rays of the sun shone on the earth, the camp grew quiet and waiting. All had gone to their assigned stations. The Hunters of Artemis arrived just in time together with some Amazons to help. As we waited for the first sign of the enemy forces, I wondered why the gods bothered to warn us but not help us. Sometimes, I think that the gods have all the same screw loose. I tapped the hilt of my sword, listening and waiting. Up above, Jason Grace hovered with the pegasi and eagle riders, keeping guard of the skies. I looked back at the camp. I wondered what Will was thinking this time around. I guessed that he was thinking of smacking me upside down if I got injured or haunting my spirit in the Underworld in case I died. Sometimes, my pessimism was too malignant to ignore.

On the hills surrounding the camp, the demigods have good advantage over the enemy below. I am included to the force at the side of Half-Blood hill. Looming above us was the Athena Parthenos, regal and dignified. Honestly, I was hoping that the statue would move and stomp down monsters into pancakes.

A loud horn echoed throughout camp. _The enemy force is here._ Above, a huge swarm of flying monsters descended from the clouds. Immediately, the campers above engaged them. At the beach, huge fountains of water bursted upward, a simple sign that the battle at that side had begun. Loud blasts from some powerful weapons made by the Hephaestus and Vulcan kids reverberated all over camp. A camper shouted at our side as he spotted a horde of monsters approaching our side. We all shouted our battle cries. As the others charged, I summoned a small army of undead soldiers. I commanded them and charged into battle.

* * *

~Trisha Ledger's POV~

* * *

I dodged as an empousa slashed at me. I stabbed my sword at its chest.

I ducked down as harpy grabbed at me. A silver arrow went sailing overhead and planted itself on the harpy's forehead.

A land mine buried by the Ares and Mars kids exploded nearby, charring the unfortunate monsters.

A lightning struck nearby, roasting the monsters above the sky and on the ground.

An Apollo kid rushed past me toward an injured camper. Three campers surrounded him and kept monsters at bay.

A hand grabbed me as a hellhound was about to shred me to pieces. I lose hold of my sword and stumbled backwards. A figure sliced the hellhound into half.

As I catch my breath, the figure approached me and offered his hand. I accepted it. _"Thank you, Ren."_

He grinned as he helped me up. _"No problem."_

 _"Damn. I lost my sword."_ I said.

 _"Go back to the camp and get one. You will be a goner without a weapon."_

I waved my hand. _"No need. I have a spare."_ I lifted my wrist and willed the bracelet to change form. It morphed into a scythe.

Darren jumped back and stared at the weapon on my hand. _"Whoa! That's awesome! Where did you get that?"_

 _"Long story."_ I said. _"I will tell you next time. But first, let's finish this."_

 _"Yeah."_ He nodded and together, we charged.

* * *

~Piper McLean's POV~

* * *

The battle was going great. I used my charmspeak to confuse the monsters, giving us all a good advantage. So far so good. It seemed that we have the upper hand. If we continue to keep the tides of battle in our favor, we will sure win this battle.

As I faced off with a telekine, a strong earthquake shook the earth. We held on to keep our balance.

Deep within the earth, a wicked voice spoke up. _"CHILDREN OF OLYMPUS! YOUR END IS NOW!"_

The ground at my far north bursted upward and a titanic figure emerged.

A camper screamed. _"PERIBOIA!"_

We scrambled back, away from the female Giant. Another loud explosion sounded at the left side of the camp followed by screams. Explosions came one after another and out came the other Giants.

Periboia roared. Her voice was the voice of Tartarus. Her empty eyes bore on us. Black smoke trailed off her skin...the power of Tartarus. I remembered Athens where me and my mother, Aphrodite, battled the princess of the Giants. I encouraged my fellow campers and together, we charged.

From her hand, black smoke gathered and took form. A black whip filled thorns like the stem of a rose appeared. She lashed out. We barely managed to dodge it. A lightning bolt struck Periboia as Jason flew above her. Periboia roared and cracked the whip. She twirled it around and lashed out at Jason. It hit him and he fell down with a loud thud. I shrieked and rushed to his side. I held him close to me. Some of the campers gathered around us.

 _"Jason?! Jason?! Hey!"_ I called out. The thorns didn't got him. Thank the gods! I touched his head and felt a warm fluid. _Blood._ I touched his cheek. _"Hold on, Sparky! The medic will be coming! Don't you dare give up on me, alright?!"_ I urged.

I stopped as a shadow loomed over us. I looked up and saw Periboia. She stretched the whip and threw it behind. I braced myself for the impact.

A loud whizzing sound like a sonic boom. A very loud explosion. A blue fireball struck Periboia and engulfed her in thousands of Fahrenheit hot massive fire. The Giantess staggered backward. Her face and torso badly burned. Up above, the horde of flying monsters scattered as another blue fireball shot out, charring down monsters into ashes.

A white, almost transparent, figure whizzed above, stopped, and dived down. It landed down in front of us and struck down monsters with its spiked tail.

I finally got a better view of it. The figure was a dragon, a whole lot bigger than other dragons, with feathered wings and collar. It was one of the most magnificent beings I've ever seen. It unfurled its collar and wings and roared loudly, making the others monsters back away.

A voice spoke up on the dragon's back. _"I hope we're not late to join_ _in_ _the fun."_

I looked at the rider. My eyes widened and a gasp escape my lips. Sitting on the dragon's back...was no other than Christine Galliardo.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29 - Meh. It's Just Me.**

* * *

I carried Jason to the medic station back in camp with the help of another camper. Immediately, some of the Apollo kids rushed to us and took Jason. They carefully laid him down with the other injured campers and began treating him. My helper returned back to battle while I stayed nearby. I couldn't shake off the worry and fear I felt about Jason's condition. I silently prayed he will be alright.

From the horizon, I saw Chiron galloping toward our direction. Two injured campers were on his back. As Chiron approached the medic station, Will and some of his half-siblings rushed and carefully took the campers.

Chiron trotted to my side. Sadness and worry passed across his face as he looked at the injured campers. He gripped his bow firmly. Behind those obvious emotions, I saw anger and fatherly love beneath. I clearly understood those emotions. Chiron was like a second father to us and us like his own children. As I watched the injured campers, I could see the eagerness to return to the battlefield in their eyes.

I gripped the hilt of my sword. _"This isn't over."_ I stated firmly.

Chiron nodded. _"Indeed."_

Just then, a loud explosion followed by a crash shook the earth. I smiled. I know what that is and who made it. She's making quite a ruckus in the battlefield. Of course, in a good way.

 _"Will."_ I called out.

The Apollo senior counselor looked up.

 _"Please look after Jason."_

He nodded.

I turned to Chiron. _"Chiron,_ _I'm_ _going back to the battlefield. I got a feeling that the tides will soon shift to our favor. I wanted to be there when_ _that_ _happen."_

Chiron nodded gravely. _"Be careful...and may the Fates truly favor us."_

 _"Actually...they already have."_

Another explosion sounded, louder than before, followed by a roar of pain.

Chiron looked at me with a puzzled expression.

I grinned. My eyes twinkled and my ADHD nerves began to buzz in excitement. _"She has returned._ _Christine_ _is back."_

* * *

~Percy Jackson's POV~

* * *

 _Polybotes_.

Why did it had to be Polybotes? The guy knows not to give up on killing me, even after the war against Gaea. Though I understood that Tartarus was his father but isn't this a little _extreme_? Coming back zombified and strengthened by Tartarus. The protogenos was quite doing poorly as father. _Not_ that the gods were any better, _at least_ , they don't zombify us.

I willed the waters to turn into huge fists and slammed them down on the Giant's head. He slashed his trident at the waves. He shook his head and basilisks fell down into the waters. It swam up toward the beach where my fellow campers where engaged into battle. I called out to Annabeth to warn her and she quickly understood.

Celestial Bronze cannonballs and Greek fire shot out from the triremes, trying to knock down Polybotes. Mrs. O' Leary bounded into the surf and bit the Giant's leg. Polybotes roared and slammed his trident on the nearest ship. I willed the waters to push off the demigods from the sunken ship toward the beach where they can battle better.

Polybotes casted his net on me but I pushed it off using a wave. In irritation, he touched the water. The water began to gurgle and turn into green poison. I cursed and withdrew. Mrs. O' Leary shadow travelled away from awful poison.

Polybotes smiled triumphantly and raised his trident, its three prongs pointed downward.

Just as he was about to skewer me, an arrow whizzed toward him and exploded into Greek fire and Celestial Bronze shrapnel. He staggered and fell toward the poison. Above, a dragon flew. Its rider shot out another arrow toward the beach. The arrow multiplied and struck down the basilisks.

The dragon hovered in front of me. Its wings sending out a strong gust of wind, ruffling my hair. On it, the rider smiled. I recognized the electric blue eyes and long liquorice black hair.

She spoke up. _"I'm leaving the rest to you, Percy."_

Before I could say anything, they soared up and toward the direction of the Athena Parthenos.

* * *

~Nico di Angelo's POV~

* * *

The battle was not going great. The monsters we killed kept coming back. A lot of campers were already injured. Even my army of undead cannot keep up. We're totally outnumbered. I silently prayed to my dad to at least, send some help. To my surprise, it came _faster_ than I expected.

A dragon dropped from the sky and spewed blue hot fire, roasting down the monsters. It growled and flicked its tail, showing off its spikes. The lesser monsters backed away except for the two Giants who are accompanying them. The twin banes of Dionysus/Bacchus, Ephialtes and Otis.

Ephialtes raised his foot and stomped on the dragon. The dragon veered away and its rider shot out an arrow. It embedded itself on the Giant's forehead and exploded into Greek fire and Celestial Bronze shrapnel.

Ephialtes staggered backward as Otis charged. The dragon disappeared into thin air and reappeared behind the Giant. It spewed fire and the Giants fell face first on the ground. We scrambled away to avoid getting flattened. I caught a glimpse of the rider's face. The face I last seen five days ago. She saluted before flying away.

* * *

~Clarisse La Rue's POV~

* * *

I stabbed an Earthborn on the chest and slashed an evil spirit into half. I rolled away as a wild Cyclops slammed its club on the ground. The ground shook like its laughing. _No Styx. You will not get want you want. You will not win against us._

I brandished Maimer and impaled it at a nearby gryphon. I barely dodged as the Giant Alcyoneus charged.

A silver arrow whizzed past over my head and embedded itself on the Giant's skin.

Alcyoneus roared and raised his huge foot. We hurried out of the way. As the shadow of his huge foot fell in us, I realized I will not make it. Something swooped in and grabbed me as the foot landed on the ground.

I opened my eyes and found myself staring at the aerial view of Camp Half-Blood. I saw the buildings, the hills, the forests, the beach, and the dots that were the campers fighting to protect their home.

A voice above me spoke up in an amused tone. _"Still the_ _reckless_ _Clarisse_ _I_ _knew, huh."_

I looked up. My jaw went slack. My eyes widened. _"C-Christine..."_ I stammered.

She smiled. _"Yep. The one and only."_ She looked downward and back to me. _"Hold on, alright? I will have you on Alexios' back."_

I was too shocked to say anything. I noticed the mischievous gleam in her eyes just in time to say, _"W-Wait! How are going to do that?"_

She smirked and that confirmed my fear. With that, the dragon let go off me and I dropped, diving straight to the ground. I screamed. The dragon swooped in beneath me and spread its wings, letting itself moved upward. Soon, we were flying at a smooth pace above camp.

I punched Christine at the side.

She complained. _"OWWW! What's that for?!"_

 _"For a lot of things!"_ I answered angrily. _"For leaving camp without permission! For_ _sacrificing_ _yourself in place for Trisha! For_ _letting_ _Tartarus_ _capture you! For leaving us thinking you're dead! For not returning early! And for dropping me to the sky!"_

 _"That's...a lot."_ She frowned.

 _"Styx..._ _I_ _hate you."_ I sniffled.

She grinned. _"Love you too."_

 _"Moron. Idiot. Stupid. Fool. Gods of Olympus, why did_ _I_ _have a friend as idiotic as you?"_

 _"Hey! That's too much insults!"_

I laughed weakly. _"Those describe you perfectly."_

 _"Definitely not!"_ She countered.

I sobbed.

She patted my hand. Her expression softened. _"Hey, stop crying. I'm here. I won't leave."_

 _"Liar."_ I sniffled.

 _"You're really harsh on me today, aren't you?"_

 _"You deserve it."_ I said, wiping my tears.

 _"I guessed you're right."_ She smiled. _"Anyway, let me_ _introduce_ _you to Alexios."_ She patted the dragon's head. _"Clarisse, Alexios. Alexios, Clarisse."_

 _"Hey, how it's going?"_ I said.

The dragon grunted, eyeing me.

Christine glared at Alexios. _"Hey!"_

 _"What is it?"_ I asked in confusion.

She frowned. _"Alexios just scolding and insulting me for charging straight into battle."_

 _"You can talk to dragons?"_ I asked in surprise.

 _"Yeah."_ She nodded casually. _"I can even talk to drakons. I once talked to_ _one_ _in_ _Tartarus_ _. That drakon helped me a lot. I wonder_ _how_ _it's doing right_ _now_ _."_

 _"That's insane."_ I remarked.

She shrugged and looked down, surveying the battle below. _"We should go back._ _We_ _need to buy a little more_ _time_ _for the_ _Olympians_ _."_

 _"The Olympians?"_

 _"Yeah."_ She smiled brightly. _"They're coming to help us."_


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30 - You Got Monsters. We Got Gods. Get Burned!**

* * *

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

We dropped Clarisse back to battle and proceeded to camp. We landed near the medic station, surprising some rushing Apollo kids. I climbed down Alexios just as Chiron emerged from the one of the makeshift tents. Some peered out of the tents, curious of the noise earlier, only to have their eyes widened and jaws dropped. Surprise passed across Chiron's face. A pretty understandable expression. I ran up to him. He spread his arms in a hug.

 _"My child..."_ He said kindly. _"You have returned. Welcome back."_

 _"Thank you, Chiron."_ I said. _"_ _I'm_ _more than glad to be back."_

We separated.

Chiron's expression turned serious. _"Ms. Galliardo, do not ever leave camp without proper permission_ _again_ _or else, I will put you in cleaning duty for a whole month."_

I winced. I've heard a lot about how horrifying the duty was. I don't want to experience that. _"Sorry. I didn't mean to-"_

He raised his hand. _"I_ _understand_ _. I know you meant well. For that, y_ _ou are forgiven."_

I smiled appreciatively. _"_ _Thank_ _you, Chiron!"_

He smiled kindly.

Noticing the Apollo kids, I peered inside the tent. My smile faded. _"How many?"_

Chiron's expression darkened. _"Twenty at most. I_ _fear_ _it will continue to increase."_

I gritted my teeth. _"_ _Tartarus_ _. He's trying to weaken us before the final battle. Talk about dirty."_

 _"Indeed."_ Chiron nodded gravely. _"If this continues, we may not be able fight against him on the fated day."_

I relaxed. _"Don't worry. It won't."_ I said.

Chiron's face conveyed confusion.

I grinned. _"The_ _Olympians_ _are coming to aid us. And if I'm correct, they will arrive_ _in_ _3...2...1."_

As if in sync, thunder roared and a loud voice boomed in the sky. _"WE, THE OLYMPIANS, HAVE ARRIVED! TREMBLE BEFORE US, YOU WHO CALL YOURSELF THE ARMY OF TARTARUS!"_

* * *

~Leo Valdez's POV~

* * *

If my jaw would really drop, I wonder how long before it will reach the ground. Riding on Festus while trying to blowtorch the enemies you killed before was nerve-wracking enough. Watching the sky open and the Olympians descend? _A total mind-blowing nostalgia._

As the Olympians separated and began kicking the ass of their own Giant counterparts, I spurred Festus to the ground where the onagers were located. Standing amidst my half-siblings was our dad, Hephaestus, who was helping in manning the onagers. If my siblings were surprised, they didn't show. Perhaps, they had moved on over their surprise or they were too busy crushing down monsters. All around us, traps activated as monsters dared to approach camp. A land mine exploded near the Big House. A huge Celestial Bronze net popped out and encased a horde of arai near the woods. Automatons patrolled around, attacking any monsters on sight.

I climbed down from Festus' back and stood beside Hephaestus. _"Sup, Dad?"_

He glanced at me after charring some hellhounds with a Greek fire land mine. _"It is nice to see you again alive and well, son. Pretending to be dead was definitely not a nice thing to do."_

I raised my hands. _"Hey,_ _I_ _did it to save the world."_

 _"And it made me_ _proud_ _."_ Hephaestus' eyes twinkled. _"You made me proud."_

I don't know if I blushed or I lighted up but _dang!_ That made me happy. _"Thanks."_

 _"No."_ He smiled. _"Thank you."_

I grinned then, covered my ears as another land mine exploded nearby. _"Speaking of which,"_ I said as golden dust settled from the explosion. _"What made you decide to_ _help_ _us not get destroyed by Tartarus?"_

 _"Because you are our children."_ He said. _"And because of your friend."_

 _"Friend?"_ I asked. _"Who?"_

 _"Who else you knew was in Olympus?"_ Hephaestus asked.

 _"_ _A lot_ _."_ I said. _"Those who_ _want_ _me live_ _and_ _those who want to watch me suffer."_

 _"Son."_ He said sternly.

I made a timeout sign. _"Whoa! Okay. Okay. Fine. Other than those, I have one. You know, Christine Galliardo,_ _daughter_ _of_ _Hera_ _..."_ I trailed off.

Hephaestus raised an eyebrow.

My pants almost fell from my realization. _"You gotta be kidding? Christine's back?"_

He nodded.

 _"No Styx?_ _Where_ _is she?"_

 _"I_ _believe_ _she's with Chiron right now."_

A dragon soared over our heads, barely decapitating Hephaestus.

 _"Oh..."_ He said, patting on his windblown hair. _"She flew away."_

 _"Hey, buddy!"_ I called.

Festus lumbered toward me.

I pulled myself up and patted his head. _"We're going after that_ _dragon_ _. Well, the other dragon."_

I turned to Hephaestus. _"Thanks, Dad."_

 _"For what?"_ He asked, puzzled.

I shrugged. _"You know, for not_ _ditching_ _us this time around."_

His eyes brightened up but he didn't say anything. It's not like there's something to say at all.

 _"See ya."_ I spurred Festus and chased after Christine. It was quite difficult. Not only because hers was a real dragon but also it was quite swift and agile. The way it made those sudden sharp turns was flawless. Most of the times, I lost sight of it. Its scales took on its surroundings. Sometimes, it teleported or simply vanished. There times when we had to avoid its thousands of Fahrenheit hot blue fire. I know I'm immune to fire but I don't think a Celestial Bronze dragon like Festus could handle fire that hot. All about that dragon was perfect from the tip of its snout to the tip of its tail. Honestly, I could stare at its perfect workmanship for eternity if we weren't chasing after them. It's annoying yet undoubtedly amazing.

We finally managed to catch up when the dragon slowed down to land. Christine jumped off a few feet off the ground and ran up to a camper sprawled on the ground. I quickly jumped off and ran to her direction.

 _"Finally caught up with you."_ I gasped for air. _"Dang! Your dragon's fast."_

 _"Sorry about that."_ She said as she checked the injured's pulse. _"We got a battle to worry about."_

I mentally smacked myself. _Stupid_ _! How could I forget?_ I kneeled beside her and looked at the injured camper. It was one from the Ares cabin. His side was badly bleeding. My eyebrows furrowed in concern.

 _"Is he going to be alright?"_ I asked.

 _"What kind of question was that?"_ She asked without looking at me. Her voice was tinted with annoyance and worry. _"His side_ _was_ _pierced by spear and he broke a few ribs. Good thing_ _I_ _shot the monster dead before he got skewered even more."_

She reached out from a rectangular pouch on her belt and pulled out a canteen. My eyes widened in surprise. It was just like my toolbelt. She handed me the canteen.

 _"Make him drink that. It's nectar. I will close up his_ _wound_ _and see if_ _I_ _can fix his broken ribs."_

I held the Ares kid's head and slowly dribbled nectar on his mouth. Christine untied his armor straps and lifted his shirt. The wound was deep and fatal. A lot of blood had been lost. She placed one hand on his wound and concentrated. Warm light began shone from her palm and unto the wound. Slowly but carefully, the wound closed by itself. I watched in amazement.

 _"How are you doing that? That's amazing! I don't think the Apollo kids could do_ _that_ _."_

 _"It's one of my powers."_ She said quietly. She glanced at me. _"It's not surprising. You already knew the truth, am_ _I_ _right? I saw it in your eyes."_

I nodded. The truth was both shocking and unbelievable. None of us hadn't quite grasped the truth completely yet. I could still remember how everything went that day.

 _Nico had just finished_ _reporting_ _what happened during the rescue mission. Of course, all was in awe but we all had the same question on our mind. Why would the Olympians go far just to rescue Christine? According to what Nico said, Zeus took back his order to capture Christine Galliardo, not because they already have her but_ _because_ _of other_ _reasons. A reason that went_ _beyond_ _our wildest_ _imagination_ _._

 _Chiron looked at each of us. His face obviously means business. "Do any of you wondered why Tartarus wanted Christine badly?"_

 _We nodded. It had been a mystery to us since the Underworld_ _accident_ _._

 _Chiron inhaled. We waited. Slowly, he spoke up._ _"_ _Christine_ _Galliardo was not born a demigod." He said. "She was turned_ _into_ _one."_

 _We_ _looked_ _at him, astonished._

 _"_ _W-What_ _?!"_

 _"She's not born a demigod?!"_

 _"What's with that?!"_

 _"We don't_ _understand_ _!"_

 _"What are you saying?!"_ _Clarisse stood up, completely irritated. "She's not born a demigod?! Then, what is she?!"_

 _Nico stood up. "A goddess." He said._

 _We gaped at him._

 _"That's...that's insane!"_ _Connor exclaimed._

 _"Unbelievable!"_ _Travis added._

 _"Believe it or not." He met our eyes. "That's the truth._ _She's originally a goddess._ _A future Olympian at that. She's the lost daughter of_ _the king and queen of the gods._ _Her true name is Ariacalyssa._ "

 _"No way...you got to be kidding us."_ _Hazel said._

 _"No...I'm not."_ _Nico said._ _"Ask the Olympians. Ask Zeus. Ask Hera. They will_ _tell_ _you_ _the same thing."_

 _"Chiron..." Annabeth said softly, imploring the the centaur for a confirmation._

 _Chiron simply_ _sighed_ _. "The truth will always be the truth."_

 _"Then, why didn't she say a thing to us?" Reyna asked._

 _"I believed it's because she wasn't aware of it back then." Chiron said. "Perhaps, her memories when she was a young goddess were wiped clean. But, it seemed her true blood was_ _simply_ _buried dormant under her mortality rather than being completely removed. It stayed that way until the fateful night when she, Clarisse, and Trisha_ _encountered_ _the empousa."_

 _We looked at_ _each_ _other, not being able to comprehend Chiron's words. "If my hunches were right, she was turned into a mortal for a very important purpose. Something connected to Tartarus and the_ _incoming_ _war. By all means, the Olympians took her to make sure she won't fall into_ _Tartarus'_ _hands_ _once again."_

I watched as she moved her hand where his broken ribs were. The Ares kid inhaled like something painful was pulled from his chest. The light faded from her hand. She gently pressed his skin and sighed on relief.

 _"He's_ _alright_ _now. I closed the wound and mended his ribs, though_ _he_ _lost a lot blood. He_ _still_ _needs to be brought to the_ _medic_ _station."_

I gave her the canteen back where it disappeared into the pouch. I helped her prop the Ares kid on the back of her dragon. She looked toward the direction of the other battles. Her face looked worn out but her eyes sparkled.

 _"The battle shouldn't take any longer."_ She said. _"_ _I could feel Tartarus's power fading back to his domain. He knew his plan didn't go as he planned."_

She climbed up the dragon and turned to me. Instead of the usual electric blue eyes, her eyes were lighter in color, like the sky during a fair weather, calm and sure. For some reason, I suddenly felt at peace. _"I will go ahead. All of the Giants were down. The remaining will be easier to defeat with the gods at our side."_

 _"Umm...hey. Can_ _I_ _ask a favor?"_

She tilted her head. _"A favor?"_

 _"Yeah."_ I nodded. _"Would you mind if you tell us something about yourself? You know, your goddess self."_

She stared at me. I wondered if my hair was on fire, when she suddenly laughed. For a moment, I forgot about my self-awareness and the battle around us. Then, I realized she emanated the best side of everything. Calmness, happiness, peace and a whole lot other good things.

She wiped a tear from her eyes. _"Sorry. I thought you were asking_ _something_ _heavy, considering how_ _serious_ _your face was. Anyway,_ _I_ _will be more than glad to. Just be sure to survive today's battle, Leo."_

I grinned. _"Is that a challenge? Are you_ _challenging_ _the most_ _awesome_ _demigod of all times? Then,_ _I_ _accept!"_

She chuckled. _"I will be waiting, O Most Awesome Demigod_ _of_ _All Times."_

 _"Better believe it!"_ I said.

 _"Well then,_ _I_ _will go ahead."_ She patted her dragon and they soared back to camp.


	31. Epilogue

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

* * *

The battle ended just before noon. It left the camp in a very messy state but other than that, there was no casualties, thanks to the immediate warning of Hermes to Chiron and the aid of the Olympians. Together with Apollo and some gods who have experience in healing, we helped camp medics took care of the wounded. The other gods helped with clearing the battlefield, making sure there were no monster still roaming around, and repairing the damages. By night, everything had returned to normal but the camp remained in high alert. Most of the injured were allowed to go out of the infirmary while some have to remain for further treatment. The campers all went to sleep early, apparently very exhausted because of the battle. As the camp grew quiet, I went to the Big House where the Olympians were gathered at the porch. Chiron was talking to them, apparently concerned with the camp's condition and the campers' safety. They noticed me standing nearby and invited me to join in.

I knew what was going to happen. I could tell just by looking at the Olympians' expressions without even combing through their mind. _"You're going back to Olympus, aren't you?"_

Dad's face was conflicted. I knew what he was thinking. _"Yes. But-"_

I raised my hand. _"Don't worry about me. I'll be_ _fine_ _, Dad. I promise. Same goes to you, Mom."_

 _"But daughter-"_

 _"You know_ _I_ _can't return to Olympus yet."_ I said. _"My_ _mission_ _is yet to be accomplished. I couldn't let Tartarus destroy camp and so does, Olympus. I have to stay_ _here_ _and fulfill the prophecy._ _"_

Mom's eyes showed deep worry. She debating whether to let me go or whisk me away back to Olympus.

 _"And besides,_ _I_ _made a decision."_

 _"A...decision?"_ Dad inquired.

I nodded. _"Once I got my immortality back,_ _I_ _want to become the patroness of the two camps and all demigods."_ I said.

 _"Hey! I'm Camp Jupiter's patron god already! Don't you dare-OWWW!"_

Athena hit Ares with her spear. _"Shut up, you dolt!"_ She hissed. _"Let her be. I'm sure she will do a WHOLE lot better than you."_

 _"That. I could agree."_ Poseidon nodded. _"Though, the Romans don't favor me too much."_ He frowned.

I ignored them. Good thing, the others did the same.

 _"Are you sure about that, my_ _daughter_ _?"_ Mom asked.

I nodded. _"I want to look after them closely and make sure they are well_ _taken_ _care of. It's hard to admit but...you, the Olympians, were quite the inattentive parents."_

They looked at each other but didn't said anything against. They already knew that but it was shameful to have someone said that to their faces.

 _"Well, if that's her decision, then,_ _I_ _will agree. After all, it's a good proposal."_ Hestia said.

The others mumbled and nodded themselves.

 _"Thanks, Aunt Hestia."_ I said. I turned to the other Olympians. _"But!"_ My voice turned serious. They snapped back to attention. _"That doesn't mean you will leave all to me."_ I pointed out. _"You should at least look_ _after_ _them from time to time, if you don't..."_ I smirked. _"Well, I'm_ _the_ _goddess and protogenos of life and gods have life. I hope you get the idea."_

The Olympians stared at me, horrified. I won't lie. I'm enjoying it. But that's true. I could take a god's life just how life was taken away when a mortal dies. No exaggeration.

 _"Hey. Don't look so scared."_ I said. _"Just be attentive parents from time to time. If you do that, we're good. As simple as that."_

I winked at Chiron who smiled in appreciation.

Dad cleared his throat. He placed a hand on my shoulder. _"Then, we'll leave the camp to your capable hands for now, Ariacalyssa. If something comes up, do not hesitate to call for us. Just...don't get yourself killed or captured by Tartarus again."_

I touched his hand. _"I heard you. I will be careful. I_ _promise_ _."_

Mom placed a hand on her hip. Certainly, she wasn't amused. _"Not a_ _promise_ _. Swear to the River Styx."_

I chuckled, surrendering. _"Alright._ _Fine_ _. I will. I swore to the River Styx."_ I frowned, remembering something. _"Umm...does a River Styx oath have a_ _binding_ _effect on me?"_

Mom frowned. _"I forgot you're not binded by any_ _rules_ _nor commands."_

I waved my hand. _"Nevermind that. Even so,_ _I_ _will honor my promise. A high priority at that."_

Mom smiled. _"That's reassuring."_ She approached and hugged me. _"We will go ahead. Be careful."_

I nodded. She let go. Dad kissed my forehead and looked deep into my eyes. I could feel his affection without a word. He and the other Olympians summoned their chariots and soared to the skies. I watched as the sky opened up and they returned to Olympus.

Chiron placed a hand on my shoulder. I turned to face him. His smile was the same, kind and fatherly but his eyes conveyed mixed emotions.

He bowed. _"Thank you, Milady."_

I flinched at the gesture. _"...You're welcome. But, just call me Christine. Just like always. And there's no need to bow. Really."_

He smiled. _"Very well_ _then_ _."_

I looked up at the sky. My smile faded. _"Just nine days left, huh._ "

 _"Yes."_ Chiron nodded gravely. _"I'm afraid that there are only nine days left for us to prepare."_

I inhaled. _"We need to gather other allies as soon as possible...before Tartarus wins_ _them_ _for his army."_

* * *

 **This is the last chapter for the second book. I decided to make a third and I swear to the River Styx, that that will be the last. Really. No joke. Just wait for further notice when it will be published. For now, I would like to thank you for your support! I swear to the River Styx I will make the last book way higher than you guys expected it to be. Also, I was thinking of making a side aftermath story. It's still in my head so please don't get too excited. But I'm pretty sure it would be awesome if I make it. I have a lot of ideas in mind now. NOW, I'm getting excited. Anyway, thank you again and don't forget to vote, comment, and share. Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts and suggestions but be a bit moderate, okay? See ya!**


	32. Published

**The last book is already published. The title is Daughter of Hera: The Final Verse. Go check it out!**


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